Tag Archives: faith

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  1. “Man of Sorrows!” what a name
    For the Son of God, who came
    Ruined sinners to reclaim.
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  2. Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
    In my place condemned He stood;
    Sealed my pardon with His blood.
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  3. Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
    Spotless Lamb of God was He;
    “Full atonement!” can it be?
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  4. Lifted up was He to die;
    “It is finished!” was His cry;
    Now in Heav’n exalted high.
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  5. When He comes, our glorious King,
    All His ransomed home to bring,
    Then anew His song we’ll sing:
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip Paul Bliss

1838-1876

Born: Ju­ly 9, 1838, Clear­field Coun­ty, Penn­syl­van­ia. His most popular song was Hold the Fort! (1870) which was based on the events of a Civil War battle in October 1864 near Atlanta, GA. He is especially noted for his hymns and character songs. Among his most popular hymns were I Am So Glad, Daniel’s Band, More to Follow, Free From the Law, Whosoever Will, Man of Sorrows, Almost Persuaded, I Know Not the Hour, and Meet Me at the Fountain.

Died: De­cem­ber 29, 1876, Ash­ta­bu­la, Ohio. Bliss and his wife died in a tra­gic train wreck caused by a bridge col­lapse. He sur­vived the in­i­tial im­pact, but went back in­to the flames in an un­suc­ces­sful at­tempt to res­cue his wife.

The night be­fore that ter­ri­ble rail­road ac­ci­dent at Ash­ta­bu­la…he said to his au­di­ence, I may not pass this way again; then he sang a so­lo, I’m Go­ing Home To­mor­row. This in­deed proved pro­phe­tic of his own home go­ing.

Crosby, Chapter XVII

[hymntime.com]

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.

9 And He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Isaiah 53: 3-9

How to Witness for Him – #7 – Following Up

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Think of a new-born baby, umbilical cord still attached – abandoned in the center of a forest full of wild animals.  Exposed to the elements, and unable to fend for or care for itself.  Well – that’s exactly what happens when you lead someone to Christ, and then drop them!  As the baby Christian’s spiritual “foster parent,” you have great responsibility to nurture the new born Christian to ensure he/she is established and on the best food and water, has shelter, and is protected from the elements. 

Acts 2:41-42

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Hmmm.  Did you get that part?  Any question about what happened to the three thousand after they were saved?  Nothing vague about that.  When you, personally lead a person to Christ, then you, personally, are responsible.  Yes, you will receive the soul winners crown at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but the responsibility does not end with your joy at the birth!  Abandonment of spiritual babies, is one of the reasons for stunted growth, and future backsliding.  It also stunts the growth of the church, because spiritual babies, are not ever matured enough to reproduce themselves.

THERE ARE SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE BABY CHRISTIAN TO GROW SPIRITUALLY.  THIS ALSO APPLIES IF YOU, GRACIOUS ONE, HAVE ADOPTED THE BABY OF ANOTHER BELIEVER.

1. Put a King James Bible directly into their hands.  Remember – new born babies cannot even bring food to their own mouths.  Write something personal on the dedication page, open the Bible and demonstrate its features.

2. Make sure the Bible has a good concordance and index, and it might also be a good idea to show the baby how to use the computer to search Bible verses.  This is subjective, because the internet is overflowing with corruption and can potentially confuse, or even seduce  the baby Christian. 

3. Make sure you emphasize, that he  can know he is 100% saved through God’s Word.  Stress the “Three Fold Proof of the New Birth.”  

4. Start him out right – not on junk food.  Not force feeding, but make sure it is plentiful enough to sustain the baby until the next “feeding.”   It’s important to make clear, that we are to be obedient to the Lord in all things. 

5. Lead him to a New Testament church.  Invite him to be your guest at your church!  Take him with you, and sit with him.  When the invitation is given, encourage him to go forward with you, and make public profession of his faith in Jesus Christ.  Remember – babies can’t walk without help! 

6.  Encourage him to tell others about his new birth.  Psalm 107:2 – “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

7.  Either teach him the basics of Bible doctrine, or get him enrolled in a “new believers class.”  He will not be able to reproduce (witness) effectively, until he has a solid foundation.  Some of the essentials include the Trinity of the Godhead, the deity of Christ, and the inerrancy and divine inspiration of the Bible.  If you do not have a class for new believers near you, the studies on our Apologetics and Doctrines page are thorough, doctrinally sound, and may be used to give the new believer a solid foundation.    You are free to print off and use any of those articles. 

ONCE THE NEW CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN THE SOLID BIBLE DOCTRINES – THEY WILL BE READY TO:

GO WITH THE GOSPEL

How to Witness for Him – #6 – Giving the Invitation

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Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

SUGGESTIONS FOR GIVING THE INVITATION:

  After sharing  God’s Plan of Salvation, invite the person to whom you are witnessing, to accept, by faith,   the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior.   You can ask them to kneel with you, but no pressure!  If you just get down on your knees, it is likely that they will follow – but it is not necessary.  If you are on an airplane, or in a foxhole, kneeling is not going to happen.  You lead the way! 

While you are kneeling, or other posture of reverence, out loud, pray that the Lord will convict him of his sinfulness, and bring him to a state of repentance.  If he does not follow you, then arise and make another appointment to meet with him again.  If he does follow you to his knees, ask the Lord to save him now.  You will need to lead him – like a baby.  Yes – even coach- if need be.  Just be sure, that however you do it, that he/she acknowledges the complete Gospel.  Be sure he:

  1. Admits God loves him
  2. Admits Christ died bearing his sins
  3. Thanks the Lord for convicting him
  4. Admits that he is a sinner
  5. Admits that he is dead in sins
  6. Admits that he cannot save himself
  7. Cries out to the Lord to save him

 Please don’t be preoccupied with the “sinner’s prayer.”  Let the Holy Spirit lead you, as you lead the lost one to his Savior.  The prayer should flow from the heart – not a prescribed formula from an “expert.”

When you finish leading him through prayer, stand up, and ask him – “Did you by faith accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?”  If he says yes, confirm it  – “Upon the authority of God’s Word you are now a child of God.”  Give thanks and praise to God!

Romans 10:13

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to Witness for Him – #5 – Sharing God’s Plan of Salvation

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Acts 4:12

 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

WHEN YOU ARE WITNESSING TO SOMEONE, THERE ARE SEVEN PROVEN STEPS TO TAKE WHEN SHARING GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION. 

1.  The best place to start – is with your own, personal testimony.  Not your life story!  It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to tell how the LORD saved you.  As you come to the close of giving your testimony – that would be a good time to bring out your Bible – or a tract or booklet containing God’s Plan of Salvation.  Try saying – “May I share with you God’s Plan of Salvation that changed my life?” 

2.  The first thing to cover, would be fact #1 – GOD LOVES YOU.  Read John 3:16, and talk more about how much someone must love to sacrifice themselves for another.  Be frank, and ask the person if they will admit that God loves them.  Lead them to admit it if you need to.  This admission enacts their participation in God’s Plan of Salvation.

3. The next step, will be to cover Fact#2 – IT IS A FACT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER.   Read directly from Romans 3:23, and make sure that the person understands that you, along with everyone else, has fallen short of the glory of God.  It is not a matter of comparing ourselves with the sinfulness of others – it is how we compare to God’s standards.  After the person has taken this in, ask them if they will now admit they are a sinner.  It may require some prompting from you – which is normal.  But the person needs to know, that God’s loves them, even though they are sinful.

4. After the two admissions, the next step will be to share Fact #3 – YOU ARE NOW DEAD IN SINS.  Read directly from Romans 6:23, making sure he/she fully understands what death is according to Scripture.  When you are sure they understand what death is, ask them to admit that they are dead in sins.  Stress, that even though they are dead in sins, that God still loves them.

5. At this point, share Fact #4 – CHRIST DIED FOR YOU.  Read Romans 5:6, emphasizing that Jesus Christ, judged completely innocent, took upon Himself the sins of the world.  Ask him/her to admit that Christ died for them, personally.  The person needs to know, that Christ loves them so much, that He died on Calvary bearing their sins.  He did not die for the righteous – He died for sinners.

6. Now share with them Fact #5 – YOU CAN BE SAVED BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Read Acts 16:30, stressing that they must believe in their heart, their innermost being, that –

  • Christ died for our sins
  • He was buried
  • He rose again the third day

Ask the person to acknowledge the Gospel, and be ready to ask him/her to accept Christ as their personal Savior. 

7.  If they have actually done all of the above, now would be the time to lead them to call upon the  name of the Lord in prayer.  There is no formulaic prayer!

Please make full use of God’s Plan of Salvation, which may be printed off from this site – free of charge.  It will greatly fortify your soul winning endeavors.  The next segment covers  How to Give the Invitation!.

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to Witness for Him – #3 – The Approach

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Never fear beloveds!  This is easier than you think.  Often we are afraid of giving witness, because we just don’t know how to approach the “target.”  Sometimes, it seems, the Lord places someone right in our paths.  Other times, it may seem as though it’s been a long time between witnessing opportunities. 

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO APPROACH THE PERSON YOU ARE WITNESSING TO:

1.  The direct approach.  This approach can be used when witnessing to:

  • A relative.  Andrew used the direct approach with his brother Simon Peter, bringing him to Christ.  John 1:40-42
  • A friend.  Philip the apostle used the direct approach to bring Nathaniel to Christ.  John 1: 45-46
  • The concerned.  Jesus Christ used the direct approach to win the heart of Nicodemus.  John 3: 1-21
  • The seeker.  Paul and Silas used the direct approach to lead the Philippian jailer to Christ.  Acts 16: 19-34

2. The second, is the indirect approach.  This approach can be used when witnessing to:

  • A stranger.  Jesus used the indirect approach to win the heart of the Samaritan women.  John 4: 7-26
  • The religious.  Philip the evangelist used the indirect approach to lead the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ.  Acts 8: 26-39

Never be afraid to share your faith!  The method used, will vary according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Either way – direct or indirect –  be sure to follow through (the subject of the next article on How to Witness) until you have presented God’s Plan of Salvation and invited them to accept Christ as their personal Savior.  Remember that you have the witness of your faith to add strength to your work – and that witnessing for Him – is the true work of every child of God.

Isaiah 43:10-12

10 Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.

11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no saviour.

12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.

How to Witness for Him – #2 – The Qualifications

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Colossians 2:6-7

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:

7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

A QUALIFIED WITNESS IS ONE WHO IS:

1. Established in the faith. 

This does not exclude young believers!  Even the young can be mature –  spiritually.  To be established in the faith is to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word.  Peter said, “Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with  meekness and fear.”  1 Peter 3:15  The doctrinal studies on this blog, in your Sunday school class, and other sources are there to help you get firmly anchored in His Holy Word.  Study them, and carry your Bible with you to ponder any portion of one of the great doctrines.  They will give you a rock solid foundation to build your faith on.  And in this day and age – it is easier than ever to carry the Word with you via technology. 

2. Saved and know it!  

I know that I am saved, because God tells me so in His Word and God cannot lie!  You and I have the same witness!  We have the:

  • Witness of the Spirit. Rom. 8:16 –  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
  • Witness of the Word.  1 John 5:13 – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
  • Witness of saving faith.  1 John 5: 9,10 –  9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of His Son.  10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

There is nothing more important than reaching the lost for Christ.  Nothing.  If it is important to you ( and as a child of God it should be ) make an effort to be rooted firmly in the Bible, and then you will be able to speak volumes with very few words!  In a courtroom setting, the witnesses are chosen based on their credibility.  Our firm conviction that we are saved, and our absolute faith and dependance in the Word of God is our credibility to witness for Him.

How to Witness for Him – #1 – The Importance of Witnessing

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Romans 10:13

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is of vital importance NOT to lift the above verse out of context.  Many, many false shepherds stop with verse thirteen – leading to many, many false conversions.  Progressing to the next verse – the Lord gives us three essential questions, that must be considered along with verse thirteen.

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

1. The first question, “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?”  

The answer?  The lost CANNOT call on the Lord to be saved until they believe –

  • That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
  • That Christ was buried.
  • That Christ rose again  the third day according to the Scriptures. 

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

2. The second question – “How  shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?”  

The answer?  The lost CANNOT believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation. 

3. The third question, “How shall they hear without a preacher (witness)?”  

The answer?  They CANNOT hear the good news of salvation without a witness. 

  • Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because of the witnessing of the 120. 
  • The eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed.
  • Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed. (Acts 7: 54-60), and Jesus the God-man witnessed, and Annanias witnessed.  (Acts 9:1-18) 
  • Cornelius and his house were saved because Peter witnessed.
  • The Philippian jailer and his house were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed. 
  • You were saved because someone witnessed to you. 
preaching

According to the inspired Word of God, the lost CANNOT be saved without a witness.  They must have a witness to hear, they must hear to believe, they must believe to call on Him, and they must call on Him in order to be saved.  But – they CANNOT call until  they believe, and they CANNOT believe until they hear, and the CANNOT hear without a witness!

Romans 10:17

 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

we are not born with saving faith.  it only comes when we hear the gospel.  it is of utmost importance that every single born again child of god is obedient to the word of god. 

Evangelize with the Gospel!!!!

How to Witness for Him – Introduction

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One day, as Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw two fishermen, Simon (later named Peter) and his brother Andrew.   He said unto them . . .

Matt. 4:19

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

SOUL WINNERS ARE MADE – NOT BORN!  FOR YOU TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS – YOU MUST BE TRAINED, EQUIPPED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

Our Lord spent three years teaching and training His disciples in the art of soul winning.  After His resurrection, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the “promise of the Father.”  [Acts 4:1-8]  When the disciples asked if He would restore the kingdom right then, He told them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.”  It is not the job of the church to predict or focus on the Tribulation,  or be continuously searching for hidden meanings in natural events.  Our job is to witness!  “and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

ANY BELIEVER WHO ACQUIRES THE KNOW- HOW, CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNER!

You can know –  that you and the Holy Spirit are a witnessing team. 

Acts 5:32

 And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.

Therefore, when you are witnessing, remember that you are not alone! 

1 Corinthians 6:19

 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

WHEN YOU WITNESS, YOU CAN TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THREE THINGS –

  1. Illuminate the mind of the unbeliever.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit.  All lost souls are in spiritual darkness.  2 Cor. 4:3 –  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
  2. Stir the heart of the unbeliever.  As Peter preached Christ to the listeners . . . Acts 2:37 –  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
  3. Move the will of the unbeliever.  When the prodigal son “came to himself,” and returned home he said. . . Luke 15:18 – I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. . .  The prodigal had a change of will. 

Many graduates of Bible schools have learned all of the up-to-date techniques for “modern” soul winning.  They may even be able to quote the necessary Scriptures without flaw, and stir an emotional response from their audience.  But, if witnessing is not done in the power of the Holy Spirit, all their witnessing efforts will be ineffective.  As we progress though this series on effective witnessing, please keep your heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit, and be willing to become Fishers of Men. 

God’s Creation and Rainbows – Rainbows are a Picture of Jesus

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Genesis 9:13

I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.

  • A rainbow is a multi-colored arc that forms in the sky.
  • Rainbows are created by both reflection and refraction (bending) of light in water  (Jesus is the Water of Life) droplets in the atmosphere, which results in a spectrum of light appearing.
  • A rainbow is in fact a full circle of light.  (Jesus is the Light of the World) However, due to most people viewing a rainbow on the ground we only see a semi-circle or arc of the rainbow.
  • A rainbow is not situated at a specified distance, instead it will always be visible to a person at the precise angle freshwater droplets reflect the light which is 42 (6×7) degrees in the opposite direction of the sun.
  • A rainbow is not an object, it cannot be approached or physically touched.
  • No two people see the same rainbow, in fact even our individual eyes see slightly different rainbows. If someone appears to be standing under a rainbow you can see, they will see a different rainbow at the same angle but further away.
  • Rainbows can be seen not just in rain but also mist, spray, fog, and dew, whenever there are water drops in the air and light shining from behind at the right angle.
  • Sir Isaac Newton identified the 7 colors of the visible spectrum that together make up white light. All of which are present in a rainbow in the order red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (the acronym or name ROY G BIV is a good way to remember these colors and their order).
  • Most rainbows we see will be a “primary rainbow” whereby the color red can be seen on the outer edge through to violet on the inner edge.
  • The sky within a primary rainbow is brighter than the sky outside of the arc. This is due to the fact that the millions of droplets needed to make a rainbow are spherical and overlap to create white light. At the edge however, these colored discs don’t overlap so display their individual colors producing the rainbow arc.
  • A “double rainbow” is where a second, much fainter arc can be seen outside of the primary arc. This is caused by the light reflecting twice inside the water droplets. As a result of this double reflection the colors of the second arc are inverted with violet on the outer edge and red on the inner edge.
  • The dark, unlit sky between the primary arc and secondary arc is called Alexander’s band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it in 200 AD.
  • Very rarely, light can be reflected 3 or 4 times within a water droplet which produces even fainter tertiary (third) and quaternary (fourth) rainbows in the direction of the sun.
  • A “moonbow” is a rare lunar rainbow or night time rainbow produced by light from the moon. Our eyes see it as white even though all colors are faintly present.
  • A “fogbow” is formed by cloud and fog droplets, they are almost white with very faint colors visible. Fogbows are quite large and much broader than a rainbow.
  • Create your very own rainbow by trying this fun rainbow experiment!
  • http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/weather/rainbows.html

John 8:12

 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The light of the sun is made up of seven distinct colors as shown in the rainbow. In music, there are seven distinct notes. Seven is often referred to as God’s seal.  It is the perfect number.  The number of completion.  The number seven speaks of Perfection, Completion, and Eternal.

There are “literally” thousands of “patterns of sevens”  in the 66 Books of the Bible. 

The Quest for Truth, Michael Dedivonai, p. 80, 83

http://bookfornook.com/books/T/The-Quest-For-Truth.pdf

When we see or think of rainbows, let us be awestruck at His Holiness and Majesty.  How insignificant we are in face of all creation.  Truly, His ways are so far above ours, that it should bring us to a point of rapture  just thinking about it all.  How He reveals Himself to us through His creation, is thrilling beyond anything. 

Psalm 8:2-4

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

Psalm 139:5-7

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

Biblical “Kinds”

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Bible skeptics enjoy trumping the variety of species in our modern world as the main objection to Noah’s Ark being a factual occurrence.  The understanding of the “kinds” described in the beginning of the Bible is becoming clearer and clearer – thanks to modern science and the exploration of DNA.  It has been documented that polar bears and grizzly (Kodiak) bears have interbred, not only in zoos, but rarely in the wild. 

This wonderful article from the Institute for Creation Research gives glory to our Creator – and His perfect, preserved Word.

Zonkeys, Geeps, and Noah’s Ark

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

zonkey_geep_wide

Zookeepers in Reynosa, Mexico, recently witnessed a female zebra give birth to a “zonkey.” So far, this rare hybrid animal appears to be in good health.1 Meanwhile, an Irish farmer’s sheep chases its baby “geep,” sired by a goat.2 What do zonkeys and geeps have to do with Noah’s Ark?

The zebra mother had grown familiar with a neighboring dwarf albino donkey. Although its father was colorless, the zonkey progeny has striped legs and a mostly brown torso.1 Zebras and donkeys actually have different numbers of chromosomes, making fertilization quite challenging, but cellular machinery sometimes somehow finds a way to form a viable offspring. It appears life was designed to do just that.

Similarly, the typical goat has 60 chromosomes, and most domestic sheep have but 54. Modern science has attached separate genus names for the two varieties, but the fact that they can interbreed demonstrates that they descended from a single kind. They both fall under a broader category: the subfamily called “Caprinae.”

Family names, or in this case the subfamily, for animals seems to best approximate the Genesis kind. Adding those of air-breathing, land-dwelling animals yields a population that would not even take up half the Ark’s calculated volume.3

Nevertheless, Bible skeptics discount the Ark, insisting that it could not possibly have carried all the required creatures. When asked to estimate how many creatures entered the vessel, they sometimes suggest millions—an unrealistic number by far. But they sometimes add sea creatures to their tallies, and they may also be counting various versions of sheep, goats, zebras, donkeys, and horses separately.

Noah and his sons only needed two of each kind, and if two creatures can interbreed, they essentially belong to the same kind. Noah’s family also only needed land-dwelling, air-breathing animals. The text says, “Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.”4 That rules out fish and a host of other water creatures, which comprise the largest chunk of currently tallied animal names—Nemo and Flipper need not apply.

How did today’s animal varieties arise, anyway? Since creatures continue to diversify into newly named varieties as they pioneer new environments and breed with neighbors of their own general kind, it stands to reason that the few number of animals on the ark rapidly diversified after the Flood into the vastly diverse animal kingdom we see today. For example, over a thousand named species of finches and sparrows have been linked through breeding studies to a single, interbreeding kind.5 And that’s where rare animals like zonkeys and geeps come in, showing that today’s varieties trace back to basic kinds.

Were horses, zebras, donkeys, sheep and goats on the ark separately? Maybe, but based on these rare cross breeds, perhaps the two basic kinds were represented by animals that looked more like zonkeys and geeps.

As we learn more and more about chromosomes – it shouldn’t stretch any Bible believer’s understanding to know where the “giants” of Noah’s day came from.  “Kinds” are why all the animals were able to fit, comfortably, on  Noah’s Ark. 

The animals, and even the human beings of modern history (post-flood) have been closely interbreeding for thousands and thousands of years – mostly due to geographic isolation.  What went on the Ark – both animals and people – looked much different from what we see now. 

GENESIS 7:13-15

13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

You can have confidence that every Word of your Bible is true – despite the tenacious efforts of the wicked to prove otherwise.

Hints for Home Schoolers – If Onlyism

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It seems like only yesterday, that my children were all home and our days were very full.  What I can recall with great clarity, are the early years of home schooling.  We were alone in our home school – no HSLDA, no home school organizations.  Back then, the materials we purchased from A Beka Book were geared towards Christian schools – not home schools. 

i remember the day to day tenseness wherein i longed for “more time.”  if only i had more time in the day. . .

This thinking was not from the LORD!  It was my selfishness and pride taking over.  As a young wife and mother, (and new Christian) I was using the world’s standards to measure my life, my appearance, my children, our home, and our home school against.  There were days when I felt resentment towards my situation, thinking – “If only I could spend more time at the piano, I would be happier.” 

What about you – do you have a list of “if only’s?”  Let’s take a quick look at a short list of common “if only’s.”

  • If only we had a bigger house
  • If only I had help with the housework
  • If only the kids were spaced father apart
  • If only the kids were spaced closer together
  • In only we could afford all the home school materials we want
  • If only I had more energy
  • If only I had fewer children
  • If only I had more children
  • If only I could get organized
  • If only I felt adequate at teaching
  • If only my kids had a desire to learn
  • If only my kids would appreciate what I’m doing for them!

The underlying source of the “if only’s” is coveting. 

coveting = desiring something to the degree that  it disturbs your inner peace

keys

For me, the intense desire to play the piano was coveting to the nth degree.  While I knew that it was the LORD’s will for me to home school our children, the overweening call of the keyboard never has left me – even to this day.  It is obsession which must be beaten into submission on a daily basis.  Technically – it could be identified as idolatry as well.  People worship many different things.  Some are house proud, some will covet power and money, others desire fame and popularity, while some actually worship their children!

My singular “if only” problem is very, very sinful, because it demonstrates a lack of contentment to my family and the world at large.  Even if I devote all my time to playing only Christian music, that does not sanitize it.  Waking in the middle of the night and longing for an empty house in order to be able to play the piano at 2:00 am is not from the LORD, nor honoring to the talent He gave me.  The solution to the sin is surrender.  Full surrender to the Lord God Almighty.  And gratitude . . .

Won’t you join me in nailing your “if only” to the cross? 

Prayer:  Dear LORD, my failure is before me.  I confess to You that I have not been content, and I want to show a gratefulness towards You that my family and the rest of the world can see.  I see LORD, that what You have given me, is what You want me to have.  You are all sufficient for me.  I need nothing else. 

In Jesus precious name.  Amen. 

sparrows

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Uber thrifty washing machine lint filter!

orange bag

If you sometimes feel like you are feeding a small army – doubtless you at least occasionally buy produce in large bags.  Many of these bags, including potatoes and oranges, come in a bag that is half plastic and half mesh.  

The mesh at right is from a 10 lb. bag of oranges purchased at SAM’s Club.  The front is plastic, and the back is very strong mesh.

Simply cut the mesh from the bag, and toss or recycle the plastic part.

Fold it in half, and serge or sew three sides shut (one may not need sewing since it is the folded edge) leaving the top open.

lint strainer

Here is a completed strainer, this time made out of a Russet potato bag.  The strainer is attached to the washing machine drain hose with an extra long twist tie, which is very easy to remove, with the top inch or so folded over.  If you are using a regular sewing machine, do a double row of stitching for strength. 

We eat a lot of potatoes, and I am always especially happy with the yellow ones because our laundry room is yellow! 

Yet more thriftiness!

I have been buying from a wonderful Christian company called “Taylor’s Cutaways and Stuff,” for decades.  They sell velvet and satin remnants by the pound, and as I am a crazy quilter, this is a dream come true.  But that’s not all they sell!  Right now they are having a their fabulous BOGO cookbook sale!  22 pages of uber thrifty cookbooks to choose from!  Enjoy this delightful website . . .

http://taylorscutaways.com/programs/shop/estore.cgi?lst=1&lnd=12&category=Bargain_Cookbooks

1 Timothy 6:6-7

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Hints for Home Schoolers – Being a Keeper at Home

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Men should stop treating feminists like ladies, and instead treat them like the men they say they want to be. [Phyllis Schlafly]

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;   4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,  5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2: 3-5

Let’s examine the phrase “keeper at home.” Some of what could be termed – New Age Bible Versions – have corrupted this passage to say something entirely different. Merely keeping a clean house – is not being a keeper at home. The keeper at home is something far greater than is commonly understood.

FROM THE GREEK, “KEEPER” IN TITUS 2 IS TRANSLATED FROM THIS WORD –

οὖρος

a watcher, warder, guardian

The same directive was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden – he was to“keep” the garden. It means something a great deal more than pruning! The Cheribum was to “keep” the way of the Tree of Life.  With a flaming sword, no less! The same charge is given to women for their homes. It has ever been the desire of Satan to destroy the family – and one of the ways he does this is by changing God’s Words. The NIV version changes “keepers at home” to

to be busy at home

Think I am making too big of an issue over a few words? The change in context here is of gigantic proportion! That simple change, in the NIV, as well as others, has influenced Christians for the past generation, to abandon their children to the pagan shrines masquerading as schools, and thrust women into the unnatural role of competing with men. Even our seniors are being shuffled off to assisted living, because the “keeper at home” is not there to care for the elderly members of the family.

castle

As the keeper at home – you are the guardian of your family. You are to be ever watchful for the welfare of your home, and its occupants. There simply is no more important job in the entire world. No where, and I mean no where, in the Holy Bible, the inspired Word of God, is this incredible responsibility given to men. Not in thousands of years of recorded history.

When you begin each day, have this thought in mind. You are the watcher, warder, guardian of your home. Not a mere housewife! You are the chatelaine of your castle, with all the commensurate responsibilities. Don’t let the media, politicians, or someone close to you diminish you and your desire to be obedient to the Lord. Your home is a fortress against the outside world, and you are its keeper! And the world, under the influence of the evil one, will attack with as much vengeance as an invading army. He will try to break down your door, infiltrate through a weak spot, smoke you out, and catapult destruction over the wall. The war machines you see in the above illustration are nothing compared to what he has in his arsenal.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6: 11

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Ultimate Banana Bread!

banana-bread1

1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas (usually three)

2 eggs

1/2 cup light olive oil

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Spray 12 cup bundt pan with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Stir just until blended. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes! (very important) Turn out onto rack to finish cooling.

Now that’s what I call “instant breakfast!”

Hints for Home Schoolers – Mornings

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As a veteran home-school mom of over 25 years, I thought it might be nice to start a series sharing some of the things I learned in the trenches. It will also give an opportunity for other home-schoolers to comment and share their experiences, as well as assist those who are contemplating home school.

Let’s begin at the beginning – that is – the beginning of the day.

Some moms like to go with the flow. I fell into that at one point, and it always led to a disorganized day. After determining in my mind to start at a specific time, (with allowances for sickness of course) it was much easier to accomplish everything.

1. I would arise at 6:00 am, (sometimes with an infant) and clean myself up, dress appropriately, and spend 15 minutes in personal devotion to the Lord. Also – care for the immediate needs of any pets.

2. Wake children at 7:00, get them cleaned up and dressed for the day, and all eat breakfast together at 7:30.

3. Spend one hour doing household chores. Age suitable – even a four year old can run a small vacuum. If the weather is warm, the garden also gets inspected during this time.

4. Have Bible study with the children. I used A Beka Bible flashcards for ages 6-13. (To say they loved those flash cards would be an understatement) Younger kids play with Bible felt books and puzzles on the floor, or Bible coloring pages seated at a kiddy table,  at the same time.  Interesting to note – when the young ones were ready to take part – they requested to sit- in with the “big kids,” and sat with rapt attention.  It was a natural transition from “milk” to “meat.”  High schoolers have independent, guided Bible study.  Bible study is the single most important part of your school day!  

5. Morning break – consisting of a light snack ( hot chocolate with a graham cracker or fruit) but it really helped us get though the morning!

Money saving idea –  A spray bottle can be filled with water to the base of the neck, then a squirt (approximately a teaspoon) of dish-washing liquid, (I use Dawn) then the rest of the bottle filled with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. This home-made spray cleaner will clean glass, mirrors, counters, tile, washable painted walls, bathroom tile, and vinyl floors – and will remove stubborn wax coatings from fruit – with no noxious fumes! I buy the alcohol in huge bottles from Sam’s or Costco. It saves a huge amount of money over store bought cleaners.  An added bonus – this cleaner is completely safe for granite counters, unlike cleaners containing vinegar or ammonia.  Will also kill mildew!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31: 27

Next week we will cover the second part of the day.  Divide and conquer!

Bible Study – Death and Burial of Abraham

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Genesis 25:7-11

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Please note that Abraham, God’s faithful friend, was not taken to heaven!  He “was gathered to his people.”  The faithful were  not able to access heaven until Jesus Christ, Abraham’s penultimate descendant,  was sacrificed  and rose from the dead.   All believers were assigned to a division of hell, known as “Abraham’s bosom,” where it can be determined, they received comfort from Abraham himself. . . but. . .were not in torment!

Luke 16:21-23

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Many, many believers labor under the unscriptural belief, that the saints of the Old Testament went to heaven based on the Law and faith.  This simply is not found anywhere in the Bible.  There is only one way, and it has always been the only way, from before the dawn of time.  Please see this study on the two Gospel quandary.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Pro-Palestinians and Islamist’s should note – that this land was purchased by Abraham to bury Sarah – not Hagar!

When Abraham gave his son to God, Abraham gained back his son.  God does not require anything nearly so dramatic from believers today.  But, it is true without doubt, that when we give of ourselves to God, we gain far, far more than we ever gave.  If we do not grow in faith and continue in infantile Christianity, we will eventually lose a great deal, because as baby Christians, the tendency is towards selfishness and far too much introspection – AKA – naval gazing!

We see in the following verse, God’s continuing plan for the Salvation of mankind.  Though Ishmael was the first born, and natural heir,  The Lord knew these men before they were even conceived.  He chose the second born – Isaac – for His purposes, just as we choose Him, over our own natural man – who is our first born man.

11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

I.e., “the well of Him that liveth and seeth me,” or, as some render it, “the well of the vision of life”, the well where the Lord met with Hagar (Genesis 16:7-14). Isaac dwelt beside this well (24:62; 25:11). It has been identified with `Ain Muweileh, or Moilahhi, south-west of Beersheba, and about 12 miles W. from Kadesh-barnea.

Bible Study – Isaac Gets a Bride – Part 1

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Abraham has buried his beloved wife, Sarah, in the cave of Macpelah – which later became the family burial place for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Not Ishmael and Esau!!!

Genesis 24  And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

Here the very aged Abraham, is adjuring his most trusted servant, to journey to the land of his birth, to find a bride for the son of promise.  His instruction to place the hand under his thigh, is deep in covenant meaning.  The thigh area is generalized in the Old Testament to mean the area of sexual reproduction, also playing significantly into the symbol of circumcision.  It refers to the importance of the son of promise and his progeny – from which the Messiah would come.

Abraham also, in choosing the Gentile bride for Isaac portrays our heavenly Father choosing  a Gentile Bride – the church – for His Son – the Christ.     If Abraham had chosen a Canaanite bride for Isaac, imagine how differently things would have happened!

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

This is a strong caution to the unnamed servant!

7 The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

The son of promise, Isaac, is not to be brought to that land under any circumstances!

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Remember – the hand under the thigh refers to the blessed progeny of Abraham, through his covenant with God!

THE UNNAMED SERVANT IS THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTER OF GENESIS 24 –

Luke 16:10

 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Why is the servant nameless?  Because God chose for him to be nameless.  A faithful servant never cares about promoting himself, his interest is solely in serving his master.  The Holy Spirit never promotes Himself, but always exalts the Son of God.

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

This is very significant.  The unnamed servant does not rely on his own perspicacity to find a bride for his master’s son.  He relies on the God of heaven to do it all!

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

The unnamed servant states right here that if God is providing the bride, that God is showing kindness to Abraham – not the servant himself!

THE SERVANT (THE HOLY SPIRIT) SEEKS THOSE WILLING TO BELIEVE HIS MESSAGE (THE GOSPEL) EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THE BRIDEGROOM (CHRIST).

Bible Study – Abram Sojourns in Egypt

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And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. Genesis 12:10-13

Several things did not happen here, which should have. As we have observed faithful Abram over the past few weeks, his faith was in evidence. Where is it now? Where is the sacrifice?

  • He decides to go to well watered Egypt (river culture similar to Ur) to wait out the famine.
  • Rather than relying on God’s promises, he fears for his life based on the desirableness of his wife.
  • He predetermines to deceive the people he is sojourning with.
map1

At this point, Abram and his caravan would be traveling from Beersheba to Egypt. In Scripture, Egypt represents the world (flesh). Seeking after it indicates broken fellowship with God. Rather than turning wholly unto YHWH in the test of the famine – his fear overcame him, and he attempted to anticipate the future, despite the fact that God had clearly stated that he would be blessed – in the promised land.

We will pause here, and examine Hurrian culture for a moment. It would not be unusual – for a man to be killed in order to seize his wife. Abram, passing Sarah off as his sister, would be able to stall for time to escape (during a long betrothal period) while the negotiations were taking place. During this time, Sarah would dwell safely with her “brother.” Aside from that – Sarah was without doubt – an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

These paintings are from the rock cut tomb of Khnumhotep II located between Upper and Lower Egypt at Beni Hasan, and made during the reign of Senusret II of the 12th dynasty (around 1880-1874 BC). The hair, beards, and clothing portray Semites from the area of Palestine. More than just a trading party, entire families with wives and children appear to be relocating to Egypt. They are well groomed and dressed in the colorful clothing of their heritage.

14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. 17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Genesis 12: 14-20

The consequences of Abram’s backsliding are so far reaching, it is breathtaking in scope.

  • Backsliding always begins by failing to trust God in some area of life
  • Backsliding then progresses to “departing” from the will of God.
  • Backsliding always reaps unpleasant results.

Today – the world still reaps the “crop” sown by Abram’s backsliding. While in Egypt, he bought a young slave girl named Hagar to be Sarah’s handmaid – who became the mother of the Arabs.

The seeds of unrighteousness always reap a bitter harvest of sorrow and grief for generations to come. Seeds of righteousness reap a bountiful harvest of blessings – for generations to come.

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. Psalm 57:1

Bible Study – Abram Called Out

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shem-family-tree

These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: 11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

This family tree displays Genesis 11: 10-26

27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

haran

Genesis 11: 10-32

We have come through four great events in our study of Genesis 1-11; which took place over a period of 1,800 years.

  1. The Creation
  2. The Fall
  3. The Flood
  4. Babel

What happens in the next chapter – 12 – is pivotal. There are very few Bible characters whose lives are so extolled in the divine record as Abraham’s is. He is a wondrous example of a person who is justified by faith – not works.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: Genesis 12:1

Looking at the family tree above, you can see that Abram is a descendant of Shem – who is still living at over 500 years of age! Knowledge of the true God was available, through Shem, but very few people wanted it. Just like today!

abram

The people of Ur worshiped many gods, even Abram’s own father – Terah – was a pagan. In the following verses from the book of Joshua – God is telling the people the history of Israel:

2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. 3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. Joshua 24:2-3

[Ur had libraries complete with: dictionaries, grammars, reference works, encyclopedias, official annals, works on mathematics, astronomy, geography, religion and politics. Hammurabi, who ruled Babylonia in Abraham’s day, was a great patron of learning,]

atifact

This military standard is from the ruins of the royal tombs at Ur of the Chaldees in ancient Mesopotamia. The standard is about 4500 years old and one of the earliest representations of an ancient Sumerian army.
It has two sides, one depicting war and the other depicting peace. The excavator was the brilliant Sir Leonard Woolley, the archaeologist who uncovered the ruins of a highly advanced civilization, whose ruins can be traced before the flood of Noah. The royal standard of Ur is important in the study of Biblical archaeology, it reveals the fact that the original home of Abraham, the city of Ur really existed. Ur was an ancient city of Sumer, South Mesopotamia. The city is also known as Ur of the Chaldees. It was an important center of Sumerian culture and is identified in the Bible as the home of Abraham. [biblehistory.com]

Abram was being asked by God, to leave comfortable civilization and go out into an unknown land – strictly on faith. The faithfulness of Abram is truly incredible.

leaving-haran

 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:2-3

All the families of the earth are blessed through Jesus Christ – Abram’s ultimate descendant, Who is the focus and theme of the entire Bible.

4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. Genesis 12:4-5

6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

abram-journey2

This map displays Abram’s journey from Haran, where his father, Terah died, to the land of Sichem – or Shechem as you see at the end of the red trail.

The Canaanites that were in the land were the descendants of Ham’s cursed son – Canaan. Gen. 9:25

altar-at-bethel

7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, Who appeared unto him. 8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth–el, and pitched his tent, having Beth–el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Hebrews 11:8

Bible Study – The Curse of Canaan

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And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

Modern biochemical analysis supports verse 19, in that through these three sons of Noah was the whole earth populated.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) indicates that all women have descended from a single woman, called mitochondrial Eve. This does not prove that she was the only woman alive at the time, but is consistent with it. High mutation rates indicate that this ancestor lived at about the time of the Biblical Eve as well.

[Carl Wieland, “Mitochondrial Eve and Biblical Eve are looking good: criticism of young age is premature” TJ 19(1) 2005, p. 57

This video is of Professor of mathematics, John Heffner, on the statistical evidence for the current world population.

And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

  • This is the first alcohol that was ever made. Before the flood – fermentation was impossible.
  • John Chrysostom, a church father, writes that Noah’s behavior is defensible: as the first human to taste wine, he would not know its aftereffects: “Through ignorance and inexperience of the proper amount to drink, fell into a drunken stupor”. Wikipedia

Which brings us to verse 22. Ham seeing “the nakedness of his father.” A great deal has been written on just what that means. My preferred method is to take the Scripture literally, and not put things in that aren’t there. Also – the best way is to use Scripture, to interpret Scripture.

We will take a short excursion into Leviticus, and see the Law.

7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 8 The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness. Leviticus 18:7-8

Leviticus 18:8, specifically states that uncovering the father’s wife’s nakedness – is equivalent to uncovering the father’s nakedness. Back to Genesis:

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said,

Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Why was the curse on Ham’s youngest son?

  1. The prevailing theory is that Ham simply saw his father’s nakedness. But that does not explain why the curse was on the youngest son, Canaan.
  2. Some like to postulate that Ham committed great immorality, by the act of sodomy on his father. Scripture does not support this.

Here goes my take on this – supported by Leviticus 18.

Ham committed incest with his mother – and produced the cursed son – Canaan. I’m sure many will object to that idea, but Holy Scripture completely supports it. Please fire your best shots!!

8 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Genesis 9: 18-29

Many evil people have misappropriated Genesis 9: 26-27, to justify the enslavement of black people throughout the centuries. It is still going on today in Africa, the Middle East, and in some cases – even here.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: Acts 17: 24-27

Bible Study – Time for Judgement

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 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Every evil behavior that you can imagine, and probably ones you can’t – in every human being – infanticide, matricide, patricide, rape, murder, adultery, incest, treachery, cannibalism – and human sacrifice to the god – Molech. In addition – the entire human race had been corrupted by fallen angels.

Let’s review this passage from Jude, which describes the interaction between the fallen angels and mankind –

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

pagans

strange = Strong’s #2087 – other or different. This phrase is not a reference to sodomy.

6 And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. Genesis 6: 5-7

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6: 8

shem-ham-and-japheth

9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Noah’s gene pool was not corrupted by the fallen angels.

10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

bas-relief

All flesh – not only human beings. This is just one example of Sumerian bas-relief. There are hundreds of such chimeras depicted in Sumerian, Babylonian, and Egyptian artifacts.

13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Genesis 6: 9-13

noah-builds-ark

14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

The ark was approximately 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. These are the same proportions employed in modern ocean liners and battle ships. It was divided into three decks, with compartments, and a course of windows around the top.

Gopher wood is used in this passage only, in the entire Bible. The type of wood can not be identified.  It most likely refers to the process of treating the wood, rather than the species of tree.

Dr. Henry Morris said in his Defender’s Study Bible (1995) that the ark was made of “a hard dense wood whose species has not yet been identified.” He added that the “pitch” that made it waterproof (Genesis 6:14) is the Hebrew word kopher, equivalent to kaphar, which was “frequently translated later as ‘atonement’ (Leviticus 17:11). In providing a protective covering against the waters of judgment, it thus becomes a beautiful type of Christ.”

It is interesting to note – that so many people who profess Jesus Christ, do not believe in the Genesis flood. Do they think Jesus was a liar? Here He is giving the Olivet Discourse. . .

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24: 37-39

Bible Study – From Adam to Noah

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The beginning of Genesis 5, is a summary of what has gone before.

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; 2 Male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Adam = of man- kind [Strong’s 120]

***Note to anyone witnessing to Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.  They often rely on the following verse to de-deify Jesus Christ and make Him a “created being.”  It is a good idea to memorize the definition of the word – Adam.  It means “of man-kind,” with kind being the operative portion of the definition.  As Christ is the last Adam – those who are born- again, under His precious Blood are of His – kind – no longer of “man-kind.”   The word Christian quite literally means – “of Christ.”  Think back to the kinds that were established at the very beginning of Creation.  This is very important doctrine!  The truly saved of Christ are a different kind than the unsaved.  Kinds can only bring forth after their own kind!

1 CORINTHIANS 15:45

 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. Genesis 5: 1-5

This chart demonstrates the family tree that is detailed in verses 6-22.

(Chart from Dark Mirrors of Heaven)

Worth picking out of the family tree – is Seth’s descendant – Enoch.

21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5: 21-24

And “he was not;” – What does that mean?

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11: 5

translated = to transfer, transport, exchange [Strong’s # 3346]

Only Enoch and one other man – Elijah – did not experience death. This is the same experience that believers still living at the time before the Tribulation will have.

16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18

rapture-2

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

 

If you are entranced by the esoteric “Book of Enoch,” I will state that I do not believe it to be the inspired Word of God. Anyone with good understanding of the King James Bible, upon reading the Book of Enoch would likely agree with me. For a good study on some of the obscurities I recommend this article by David J. Stewart. (though I disagree with Mr. Stewart strongly on origins!)

Bible Study – Leaving the Garden

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And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life; Genesis 3: 14

Later Scripture reveals, that Satan was speaking through the serpent. Throughout history, it has been maintained that the serpent was very beautiful, and likely stood upright.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. II Corinthians 11:3

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. II Corinthians 11:14

This is the pivotal verse of the entire Book of Genesis:

and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shalt bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel, Genesis 3: 15

THERE HAS BEEN ONLY ONE DESCENDANT OF EVE, (SEED OF A WOMAN) NOT BEGOTTEN OF A MAN. JESUS CHRIST COULD BE BORN SINLESS, BECAUSE HE DID NOT INHERIT THE SIN- NATURE THROUGH A HUMAN FATHER.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5: 12

SIN IS PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE FATHER – NOT THE MOTHER – BECAUSE EVE WAS DECEIVED – ADAM WAS NOT

Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Genesis 3: 16-20

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3: 21

This image from the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, shows a horribly grief-stricken Adam and Eve. One can only imagine how they must have loved all of the animals. Their attempt to cover their sin with fig leaves was not accepted by God.

The covering for sin can not be woven with human hands [Gen. 3:7]. Before Adam and Eve’s very eyes, God took one of the innocent animals they loved (probably a lamb) and slew the animal as the ground soaked up its blood.

God, by His own hand, began what is know as “The Scarlet Thread of Redemption.” The story of atonement and sacrifice continues to unfold throughout the Word of God until Jesus, the Lamb of God makes the Atonement.

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also the tree of life, and eat, and live forever; Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the end of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Genesis 3: 22-24

[See Ezekiel 1, here, for a detailed description of “cherubim.” Not chubby, cute little cupids!!! ]

Creation Week – Day 5

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“The probability of life originating from accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing shop.” (Dr. Edwin Conkin, biologist, Princeton University)

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.  And God blessed them, saying Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Genesis 1:20-23

Let’s examine a few of the incredible creatures created on the fifth day. This is a nudibranch, an animal with an unusual diet. Its primary food is sea anemones – which are covered with stinging cells, that usually explode at the slightest touch.

The nudibranch tears the anemones apart and swallows the stingers without exploding a single cell – but- they are not digested!! There are tiny tubes linking the nudibranch’s stomach to the waving spurs on its back. The stinging cells move from the stomach, through the tubes to the tips of the spurs. It can shoot them at anything that attacks. Logic question – How could this ability have been acquired gradually? All the animals would have been killed before “passing down” the mechanisms to make this stolen defense possible.

hummingbird

Truly a miracle of design, the hummingbird surpasses almost everything in the sky. The hummer is the only bird that can fly backwards, sideways, and hover. Their wings beat 80 strokes per second, their heart beats 1,000 times a minute. Here is the evolutionary conundrum – the hummer has no rods in its retina for night vision. What to do? Sleep, of course. But the hummer doesn’t sleep at night. It hibernates every single night, except when the female is nesting. It is true hibernation – with the body temperature dropping to conserve energy.

Even the most advanced military helicopters cannot match the hummingbird’s complex flight formation – which originates from the hummer’s shoulder. Question – how did the hummer’s beak, tongue, and wings develop simultaneously, without the birds starving to death first? In over 300 different species of hummer – at the same time?

THE VERY SIZE OF HUMMINGBIRDS MAKES THEIR SURVIVAL AN EVEN BIGGER ADVENTURE. HUMMINGBIRDS MUST EAT MORE THAN THEIR WEIGHT IN FOOD EACH DAY, AND THEY FULFILL THIS NEED BY EATING OFTEN. BECAUSE THEIR SURVIVAL DEPENDS CRITICALLY ON EATING FREQUENTLY MORE THAN ANY OTHER ANIMAL – THEY CONTINUALLY FACE THE DANGER OF STARVING. (HUMMINGBIRDS.NET)

Impossible. How could the hummer evolve its wings, tongue, and bill, (all at the same time) which are necessary to eat – while taking millions of years to form – if it has to eat its weight every day?

We have all been victims of science classes, where artist’s conceptions have been presented in the form of : 1. the geologic column (which exists nowhere in the world) 2. Haeckel’s Embryos (proven fraudulent) and 3. whatever hopeful monster your particular generation is presented with. Likely you were also taught that coral reefs took millions of years to develop.

“Little has been discovered of the growth rate of reefs by direct measurement. Shuiter found that a new reef established in Krakatoa after the eruption of 1883 had grown to a thickness of 20cm, in five years, or 4cm per year. Other investigators have estimated reef growth at 0.1 to 5 cm per year.” (Juenen,P.H. Marine Geology, p. 421)

As evolutionary theory slides further and further down the slippery slope – a new crop of “thinkers,” has cropped up. Those, like Richard Dawkins, who believe that the earth was “seeded” by intelligent life from somewhere else in the universe. Knowing now, that even a leaf is too complicated to have evolved , they find that hopeless idea more palatable than the truth.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

sage

Creation Week – Day 4

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For centuries the understanding of the first day of creation has caused mass confusion. In my first post in this series, I demonstrated that the “light,” created by God that first day was the electromagnetic field – not the sun. As we follow along chronologically, the second day the waters were divided and the firmament installed, the third day the seas and land were separated and vegetation appeared. And here is where day-age theorists run into trouble.

If the plants were created on the third day – how did they photosynthesize for 1,000 years or more until the sun was created on the fourth “day?”

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years; And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; He made the stars also.

And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:13-19

Just some quick facts for evolutionists to ponder. If the planets and their 72 known moons evolved from the same materials – should they not share similar characteristics?

  1. All planets should spin in the same direction, but Venus, Uranus, and Pluto spin backwards.
  2. All 72 moons in our solar system should orbit their planets in the same fashion, but 8 are known to orbit backwards.
  3. The orbits of these 72 moons should lie in the equatorial plane of the planet they are orbiting, but there are many that have inclined orbits, including our own moon.
  4. Our sun is about 98% hydrogen or helium. If Big Bang and planetary evolution are true – the closest planets to the Sun, Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury should share the same composition, but they don’t. The four closest planets to the Sun are less than 1% helium or hydrogen.

More from the Bible – “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David My servant, and the Levites that minister unto Me.” Jeremiah 33:22 This was written at a time when only 5,000 stars were visible to the human eye. Since the invention of the telescope in the 17th century, today astronomers estimate there are at least ten thousand billion trillion stars.

God knows how many stars there are – “He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names.” Psalm 147:4

Until the 16th century, geocentricity was the widely held belief, but 3,000 years ago it was written in the Word that. . .

4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His (the sun’s) going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit ( the sun’s) unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Psalm 19:4-6

Each star is unique –

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. 1 Corinthians 15:41

sage

Creation Week – Day 3

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“Let the waters under the heaven be gathered unto one place. God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters called He seas.” Genesis 1: 9-10

For 50 years, scientist Alfred Wegener was ridiculed for proposing the idea of continental drift. Today, due to great advances in submersible technology – the ocean floor proves that the landmasses have been ripped apart. It is now generally acknowledged by evolutionists – that at some point – (in their view 200,000,000 years ago) the continents were in one huge land mass known as Pangaea.

jungle

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.” Genesis 1: 11-13

black walnut leaf

Here is a black walnut leaf under electron microscope – a structure so complex, that if just one leaf appeared through evolution, it would be a mind boggling, impossible statistic.

There are over 20 different kinds of amino acids that are the foundation of all proteins – the building blocks of life – plant, animal, and man.

These amino acids are linked, end to end to form a single structure called a macromolecule. Just one living cell holds over 30,000 proteins in different configurations. The 500 amino acids that are in an average protein can be arranged in 1 x 10 to the 600th power.

The simplest form of life, bacteria, consists of over 600 varying protein molecules. The probability that just one, of the 600 molecules could form by chance is – 10 to the 527th power.

primary protein structure

And the author of the phrase “big bang,” Professor Sir Fred Hoyle stated –

“Precious little in the way of biochemical evolution could have happened on the earth. If one counts the number of trial assemblies of amino acids that are needed to give rise to the enzymes, the probability of their discovery by random shufflings turn out be ‘less’ than 1 in 10 to the 40,000th power.”

[that’s the number 1 followed by forty thousand zeros]

( The Quest for Truth, Michael Dedivonai, p. 6)

“The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95: 4

sage

Can the Bible be Trusted?

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Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles wrote to the Thessalonians in chapter 3: 1, asking them to pray –

“that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified.”

When the Bible is made free – it has the power to change individual lives, turn despair into hope, and hatred into love. From the beginning of the church, Christians were known as the “people of the Book.” Since Satan and his followers can not destroy It – they seek to corrupt It.

 Great American Bible scholar – Reuben A. Torrey gave 10 reasons why he believed the Bible was the in-spired (God breathed) and preserved Word of God:

1. On the ground of the testimony of Jesus Christ.

2. On the ground of its fulfilled prophecies.

3. On the ground of the unity of the Book. (When 66 Books, written by 40 authors, spanning 1,500 years, among different countries, provide a Book with no contradictions, and consistent doctrine and principles – it must be supernatural)

4. On the ground of immeasurable superiority of the teachings of the Bible to those of any other and all books.

5. On the ground of the history of the Book, its victory over attack.

6. On the ground of the character of those who accept and those who reject the Book.

7. On the ground of the influence of the Book.

8. On the ground of the inexhaustible depth of the Book.

9. On the ground of the fact that as we grow in knowledge and holiness, we grow towards the Bible.

10. On the ground of the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit.

_______________________________________________

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet,

and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

The New Birth – #5 – Threefold Proof of the New Birth

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Every truly born-again person, has the threefold proof of the New Birth:

  1. Inward proof
  2. Outgoing proof
  3. Outward proof

1 John 5:1

 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.

1.  “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”  Personal faith in Christ – that He is GOD – is personal evidence that the born-again individual is a child of God.

  1 John 5: 10, 13 – He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  This is INWARD proof of the New Birth.

1 John 4:7-11

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

2. “Everyone that loveth is born of God.”  We are to love mankind with the love of God.  Our sinful flesh is not capable of loving what is unlovable;  we must allow God to love mankind through us.  Rom. 5:5 – And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.  God’s love for man, expressed through truly born-again souls, is OUTGOING proof of the New Birth. 

1 John 2:29

If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him. 

3.  “. . .every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.”  When we are genuinely converted, and born anew, we will make a practice of doing right at all times and at all costs!  2 Cor. 5:17- Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  This is OUTWARD proof of the New Birth. 

Dear Readers,  If you do not have the threefold proof of the New Birth as demonstrated in Scripture,  now is the time to get on your knees and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.  And when using the term “personal,” it simply means that it is between you and the Lord – no one can do it for you.  There is NO SALVATION  through  your priest, Pope, rabbi, minister, father, mother, family, religion, cult, ritual,  self-help program or book.  You must have saving faith in His vicarious death, burial, and bodily resurrection –  believing that He Personally  experienced torturous death in your place, and overcame the tomb by the power of His Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 6:2

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Tomorrow may be too late!

The New Birth – #4 – The Only Means

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John 3:14-15

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Numbers 21:5-9

5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Moses lifted up the serpent for a sinful, disobedient people.  Anyone bitten by the fiery serpents was given a choice.  With an act of faith and humility, he could simply look at the brazen serpent and live – 0r – with an act of stubbornness and pride, he could refuse to look, and die.

Isaiah 45:22

 LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE.

“Even so must the son of man be lifted up.”  Just as the brazen serpent in the wilderness was the only means for the children of Israel to be healed, so is the death of Jesus Christ the only means for the new birth.  The only way to achieve regeneration is by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

means

noun: means; noun: means of something

  1. 1.an action or system by which a result is brought about; a method.

Romans 1:16

 FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH; TO THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.

THE SINNER MUST COME TO CHRIST BELIEVING:

1. That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 

Isa. 53:1-12 –

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Zech. 13:6 – And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

2.  That Christ was buried.  This is the proof of His death.  He was in the tomb for three days and nights. 

3. That Christ rose again, according to the Scriptures.  Here is the power of the Gospel that saves, but it is powerless to save the sinner who does not believe.  Rom. 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

THE MEANS OF THE NEW BIRTH CAN ONLY BE FOUND ONE WAY:

1. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. . .”  is the only means of the new birth.  Acts 4:12 –  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

2. Our blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ, gladly came into the world to become the only means of the new birth.  John 12:27 – Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.  

John 17:1-5 –

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

3. That the Holy Spirit came into the world on the Day of Pentecost to convince and convict all men, everywhere, of their personal need for the new birth.

John 16: 7-11

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

A personal faith in the death, burial, and resurrection is the essential and only means of the new birth.

The New Birth – #3 – The Incorruptible Nature

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1 Peter 1:23

 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The above verse, contains the doctrine of the two seeds, two births, and two natures.

1. Corruptible seed produces a corruptible nature.  Rom. 1:23 – And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  Corruptible man can only produce corruptible seed.  Matt. 7:18 – A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  “ALL HAVE SINNED,” because – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. . . Romans 3:23.    Every single person is born in sin.  Psalm 51:5 – Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

WE ARE NOT SINNERS BECAUSE WE SIN!

WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS! 

2. Incorruptible seed produces an incorruptible nature.  2 Pet. 1:4- Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  No matter what we do, born again Christians can not corrupt the incorruptible nature.  Therefore, the incorruptible seed of God gives birth to a new nature that cannot be corrupted – at any time – or in any way.  The new birth produces the life of Christ – which is made living in man – only by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Rom. 8:8-10 –   8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The seed of man is corruptible; the birth of man is natural – therefore – the very nature of man is entirely sinful. 

The seed of God is incorruptible; the new birth is spiritual – therefore – the new nature is entirely sinless. 

Both natures exist within the born again believer.  Whichever nature we allow to dominate will determine how much we sin, and how closely we walk with the Lord.  Feeding the old nature by fulfilling fleshly and worldly lusts, will keep the old, corruptible nature strong and dominant.  Feeding the new nature with spiritual food via Bible study and memorization, Christian fellowship, and church attendance, will keep the new nature strong, help us to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil – thereby causing us to walk closely to the Lord.

The New Birth – Part 2 – The New Sinless Nature

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And now – for one of the most misinterpreted verses in the entire Bible.   Please do not try to understand it in the light of personal experience. 

1 John 3:9

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

It is essential for believers to keep in mind that the above verse is speaking of the new nature – not the old nature – because the old nature was not born of God.  The old nature is born of fallen man, and it is completely depraved.  The new nature is born of God, and it is completely holy.  The two natures are present in every born again Christian. 

what does the Bible say about the new nature?

1.  The new nature does not sin, because it is the product of the seed of God. [see above verse]

2.  The new nature does not sin, because it is the divine nature of God, and since God can not sin, the new nature that issues from His Holy Seed can not sin.  2 Peter 1:4 – Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

what does the bible say about the old nature?

1.  The old nature will sin any time we allow it to sin.  Rom. 6:12 – Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  If you are born again, you will continue under the old nature 1 Cor. 9:27 – But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.  by not yielding to the desires of the flesh – or the old nature will keep you under, and you will live a defeated Christian life.  Rom. 8:13 – For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

2.  There is nothing good in the old nature.  Nothing whatsoever.  Rom. 7:18 – For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  The power to live a righteous life cannot be found in the old nature, it can only be found in the new nature.  Gal. 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

if you have been “born again” – you have two natures – the old and the new – and you will walk according to one or the other.   Examine your Christian walk according to the word of god – not by comparing yourself to other people.

Romans 8:5-6

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.