Today, let's look at Daniel 3:16 - 18
We find "some astrologers"
coming to the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, to denounce the Jews. In
all likely-hood, because they were not able to get these teenagers to do
as they were told. After all, these Jews were servants in the king's house
and were not complying to the rules. They were refusing to worship the
idol set up by the king. These "tattletails" were crying to the king
like a child who could not make a baby brother do what they told him.
I
want to interject some interesting notes: These were Jewish teenagers,
from the tribe of Judah, being faithful to the God that brought their
ancestors out of Egypt, the land of stressful slavery. Their Hebrew
names were Hananiah (meaning: God Has Been Gracious), renamed Shadrach,
meaning Command of Aku (Babylonian god of the moon). Mishael (meaning:
Who Is Like Unto God), renamed Meshach, meaning Who Is What Aku Is.
And Azariah (meaning: Helped Of God) renamed Abednego, meaning Servant
of Nebo (Babylonian god of wisdom). Further, these young men were from
royal families of nobility among the Jews noted to be highly
educated with aptitude and intellect. Beautiful Hebrew names changed to
names of idols. What a terrible change of names for them. From their view
point probably very demeaning. I think I would be a bit angry over the
name change.
Moving on, verse 16 gives us the reply of these
three young men. In front of the mighty king who held their lives in
his hands, they refuse to defend themselves. What beautiful pride in
their faith. They tell the king their god is mighty enough to save them
from fire and this king and furthermore, if their God does not save
them from certain death, they refuse to serve or worship false gods or
the image the king set up. WOW !!! They lived in the palace, clothed
in finery and had food available to them from the king's kitchen. Young men ready to die for devotion to God.
Do you know a
teenager today who would stand like this in front of Napoleon, Hitler,
Stalin or Hussein? No wonder God chose to save them from the burning
furnace. They did not even smell of smoke. The king praised God and
gave a command to anyone who spoke against the God they worshiped. He
even promoted them. What an amazing testimony from God. What would you
do in such a situation?
There is a message in verse 3:26 &
27 which talks about the king calling them out of the fire and noting
their clothes were not even singed by the fire that had burned others
who even approached it. God calls us to come out of death; come out of
your fire - your trial. Come out of a world that is often times anti God. Come out of a past of death unto life with
Him. Life more abundant today and life eternal tomorrow. This is our
God.
Amen
The nature of man is wicked. We are born into sin. It seems worse
today because of media that makes news immediate and more population
makes for higher statistics. Those who teach man is basically good,
make excuses for choices that people make. No one is being held
accountable. This is a destructive idea and shows how God's word is
being abandoned.
The Bible does not say
that people are basically good. We are born bad so we will need God.
He's good for us. We were given free will to make choices between good
or bad behavior. Example: Children need to be taught character and
morals, they are not born with a sense of anything other than self.
Manners, morals and integrity have to be ingrained in them. It surely
was not a good thing that people watched Christians be torn apart by
lions. What about war, torture and rape? What about slavery and human
trafficking? Man is inherently evil and needs God for His mercy.
People
have turned from belief in God to belief in themselves. Everything is
self, lack of responsibility and greed. These are not Biblical
teachings. People are turning from the wisdom of the Bible. America
seems to be doing better than most countries because it was founded on
the Bible and Christian values to start with. But, time marches on and the focus is
turning from God's values to self and it's escalating.
Schools are teaching "self" to our children with the "everyone is a winner" theology. Indeed everyone is not a winner. Giving a prize to everyone when one has shown their self to excel, is ridiculous. The child who made the extra effort to advance is being punished. All others are receiving the message that
they do not have to try.
Universities campuses are sending new adults into the world with little knowledge of true history, morals or compassion for others while killing Christian values.
Bring
prayer back into schools, teach our children moral values and return to
Bible based rule. People need God. We need God for something
extraordinary to believe in. We need God for strength, wisdom,
protection, health, safety and something worthy of worship. God makes
us over 3,000 promises in the Bible, if we follow Him. World history
proves we need Him. Remember saying grace over a meal? What happened
to closing major shopping on Sunday, common politeness, manners and
respect? When did we stop seeing our fellow man the same as us, with
feelings and struggles? When did we begin to let minority rule? When
did we stop caring? Can people not see that as we get away from Bible
teachings so many human values are disappearing? Common sense is dying
an agonizing death. God, my friends, God is the answer to everything
wrong in our society today.
Amen
Very few people like to read the "begats" in any chapter. Names are
difficult to pronounce and few are interested in tracing family trees in
the Bible from thousands of years ago. It can be interesting, though.
Nothing from God is by accident or without reason. The bible is like
an onion that can be pealed layer after layer.
In the
fascinating Hebrew language (The language God gave Adam; the language
that Moses and all the profits used to write original manuscripts of the
Old Testament), names have meaning that relates to the person or the
story being told.
ALSO, any time anything appears in the Bible
for the first time, it is significant. This is no different with the
first "begats" of the Bible found in Genesis 5.
If we take each
name listed, in the order that it appears and translate the meaning, we
find a hidden message that is revelation, prophecy and shows the divine
order of this Book of God's word. Let's check this out:
Adam, in
Hebrew, translates "Man", Seth - "Appointed", Enosh - "Mortal", Kenan -
"Sorrow". Mahalalel translates "God's Splendor", Jared - "Descended",
Enoch - "Teacher". Methuselah translates "His Death Will Bring", Lamech
- "Disparaging", Noah - "Rest".
It is easy to break these down into three sentences:
1. Man (was) appointed mortal sorrow. This refers to the fall of man (Adam) in the garden.
2. God's splendor descended teacher. Who descended from heaven as our great teacher; the splendor of God?
3. His death will bring disparaging rest. Jesus suffered humiliation, degredation before His agonizing death so we might rest through faith in him.
Genesis
5, is not only some boring "begats" but here we see God's plan for the
ages in the fifth chapter of the first book that Moses wrote. It is
prophetic promise of salvation for mankind through "the splendor of
God". I don't know about you, but this helps strengthen my faith. Such
a statement gives credibility to Moses knowledge of God, God's perfect
order, God's love for man, God in charge and I want to know more of this
amazing God of Gods.
One more point: These begats are broken
into 3 sentences. Three is the number of perfection - God in three
parts. These three sentences reveal to us not only a trinity but inform
us that God's plan is perfect. We can trust in our future as Christian
believers.
Amen
There
is a woman acquaintance of mine that can really get under my skin. She
tells people about me in front of me; you know, she acts like she knows
me intimately while ignoring that I am standing beside her. Ew!
She
is loud, rude, interrupts and finishes my sentences when I am talking
to others. She tries to inject herself into my life; wants to be my
friend. She has no friends because others in our small town find her as
irritating as I do. It is difficult for her to take a hint and I have
found myself being openly impatient and rude to her. Bad Christian,
bad ! !
Excuse:
I do not make friends easily. Many years ago, a "friend" turned on me
in a way that changed the course of my life and I have been very
cautious about friends ever since. It took me many years to even accept
a friend after that. I take friendship very seriously and can count
close friends from my entire life on one hand. I choose my friends (carefully) - not the other way around.
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.
I
found myself being rude to her one day (not that she even noticed) and
that night prayed about the situation, because I was ashamed. Next
morning, I took my coffee in front of one of my favorite TV evangelists
just to hear him talking about being nice to people who are irritating.
Oooops! Next morning, with coffee in front of another minister, I
heard a similar message about patience with people who are difficult and
do not have friends.
Yes,
He speaks to us in various ways, when we are listening. (I wish I had
not been listening.) You know that creepy feeling that convicts you of
poor behavior when you are beginning to get smug about yourself ? It's
called conviction.
Realize: God will not let me move on with my spiritual growth until I deal with this issue. What to do?
First, realize she is a sheep without a shepherd. She is a sister in Christ. (We should never be openly impatient with a fellow Christian.) She is her own worst enemy. She needs a friend. Granted, we will never be close but I can be more patient with her.
I
am vowing to have better conversations with her than just "no", "okay"
and "that's nice". I will give her more of my time, rather than making
excuses to run away. I should be flattered rather than irritated.
Then,
I will pray for her . . . . and me. There is magic in praying for any
one you have a problem with. It's a trick of God: When you pray for
anyone, you find yourself defending them, asking help for them and
generally becoming their advocate. This, in turn, makes you
more sensitive and understanding to their situation which softens your
feelings and creates more Godly attitude in you (me). Praying for
anyone you have an issue with can really improve your own situation.
This lady does not persecute me; actually quite the opposite. So, I should thank God that anyone admires me enough to want to be a friend. (It would just be easier if she would take "no" for an answer. - just kidding! LOL)
Praise God who loves me enough to correct me gently.
Amen
P.S. It
is now a couple months after I first posted this blog. I want to let
you know that I have made the effort to look at her face when I talk to
her. I even initiate conversation. She does not "strain" any more to
get my attention or go out of her way to push in and interrupt. Things
are much more relaxed between us. She is not imposing herself on me.
We have casual conversation and move on. That is all this woman wanted;
a little recognition - the same recognition that I give anyone else.
It was not easy to write this article. I wanted to share just in case
this personal experience will help someone else smooth over a similar
situation. She did not want to inject herself into my life, merely into
the same courtesy I show everyone else; to be counted worthy of the
attention from someone she apparently respects. There is now no strain
when I run into her AND I like myself much more. The blessing here is
coming to see some of her positive traits.
Thank you, Father, for teaching me this special lesson.
Amen
People are always quick with advice that makes everything worse
instead of better; they always repeat the same cliche' . They mean
well. They actually want to help but there is little they can do and
even less they can say that will help. Truth is, despair is a lonesome
valley and you are the only one who can walk through it, by yourself.
About
seven years were spent writing down my pitiful youth and all the
mistakes I made because I let others have control over my self worth.
It took me a long time to be able to look back over all the losses and
disappointments and see how it all happened for a reason. There was
loss of children, rejection, divorce, loss, grief, failure, drinking,
more loss, disease, more divorce, more rejection and more loss. I ran
from myself and suppressed feelings and memories until I was numb -
without any feeling. I was in that "lonesome valley" all by myself.
At
my lowest emotional point, I had a loaded gun in my hand trying to
decide the most effective way to use it so I would actually kill myself
and not make a mistake that would leave me a cripple the rest of my
life. That would have been worse than death: drooling, blind, in a
wheel chair and/or wearing a diaper with others wiping my chin, or my
"cheeks". Thoughts like this are enough to make you hesitate - at
least.
For me, it was God. I did not hear a voice. I did not
see a burning bush. There was no lightening or thunder. Just a quiet
thought planted in my head. It was the perfect thought to stop me. It
was God relating to me, through the Holy Spirit, in a way I could
understand. Let me print a few lines from my book, "Evidence of God":
Late
one evening, after business hours, sitting in the back room of my shop,
I was holding a loaded gun in my lap. I had taken it from John’s
dresser when I moved out. Must have sat there for a long time watching
light on the wall turn to shadow. I wasn’t thinking, just being numb.
When thoughts did return, they were about how to do it: in the mouth, in
the ear, my temple? Was the safety off? Was it a tight trigger? Lots
of questions.
The thing about happiness: It’s a choice. But, I
was a prisoner of the pain. Suicide is desperate, it is hostile, it
is tragic. These are the legacies for those left behind after suicide:
guilt, anger, doubt, blame, fear, rejection, abandonment and profound
grieving. Most people don’t want to talk about it, don’t even want to
think about it. It is too raw and it’s way too confusing.
The bottom
of my life had come up and smashed me in the face. You don’t get over
major life obstacles; you go through them. You never forget; you learn
to live with the memories. What seemed like impossible obstacles in my
life were a series of great opportunities that I could not see from my
pit of depression - that "lonesome valley".
The olive, grape
and grain are used through out the Bible as examples in stories and
parables. Each one has to be crushed before it can be used for oil,
wine and bread. Just as these examples tell us, God has to crush us
before He can use us.
As I sat there, a voice came into my
head. A small voice way in the back, soft but clear. “You can’t give
life, so you can’t take life.”
That’s all I can recall. I’m
writing this text today so I must not have pulled the trigger. The
pastor’s remark comes back to me about getting baptized quickly because
trials were coming. In my heart, I am convinced it was the spirit of
God speaking to me that night as evidence of God’s patience, wisdom and
love.
No way am I suggesting that you get a loaded gun to
get an answer from God or otherwise. Just want to relate a few thoughts
I had/have about the subject. I do want to tell you that there is a
way out - always. BUT, it isn't an easy one. If it were, there would
be no meaning to life. YOU have to find YOUR way. YOU have to learn to live with your issues without revenge or grudges. You have
to find the loving way for it to work. God is really the easiest way.
Call on Him. Ask for an answer. Dump on Him, tell Him how you feel. I
mean, really pour it out. Find professional help if you need it. Call
a help line.
Life is an amazing gift from God. The enemy is
real and he wants your life. The devil wants you dead. This is
something that is hard to see when you are in that valley. He doesn't
want to see you alive, happy or prospering the way God does. GOD LOVES
YOU! You, Y-O-U were created individual with your unique traits and
personality because you are special to Him. He does not want to see you
in despair, unhappy, suffering or without any necessity. Take my word
for it. I've been there. I found my way out. It wasn't easy but I am
stronger, more confident, healthier, happier and more prosperous for
going THROUGH it. I didn't have to do it all alone. God took my
hand and we walked out of that lonesome valley together. It is worth
the fight. It is worth it to be alive.
Jesus healed; He did not make people sick. There is not one instance where he gave someone an illness. He never refused to grant forgiveness to anyone who asked for it. Jesus actually gave forgiveness a few times that people didn't even have to ask. He never told anyone He didn't have time right now; come back later. There is evidence that He actually felt better after giving healing or forgiveness.
Abraham willing gave tithe to Melchizedek in the very first book of the Bible, after Melchizedek took communion with him. Abraham received Isaac, the son of his old age, of his dreams, who fathered the nation of Israel, from whom came the Savior. Abraham became a very wealthy man - because God was pleased with him. His descendants number the stars. He lived a long, prosperous and healthy life.
Because Jesus borrowed Peter's boat, He gave Peter a net load of fish that could have sunk Peter's boat. That meant a lot of money.
The New Testament is full of parables of healing and prospering. The good Samaritan went beyond the call of decency to provide for the stranger on side of the road. There is no parable that references sickness or poverty given to a believer. You can even find God's grace given to non believers.
Jesus healed. In the gospel of Luke, the physician, there is one healing after another listed starting with driving out an impure spirit in chapter four. I can cite 17 events of healing in this chapter without searching. Jesus even raised Lazarus, a widow's son and Jarus' daughter from the dead, not to mention Himself. As a matter of fact, Luke 13:16 tells us Satan is the one who gives disease when Jesus helas a crippled woman.
When He fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, He was giving, providing. All four gospels tell this story. Matthew and Mark tell of feeding another crowd with 7 loaves and a few fish. In the first case, there were 12 baskets left over. I am sure the left overs were given to the boy who generously gave of his lunch; who else? The one who freely gave, received more in return.
What did Jesus give His disciples? The Holy Spirit, joy of serving, gifts and a place in heaven for eternity.
What does He give you? Are you a believer? Do you give freely? Are you sorry when you are wrong? What is your physical problem? Do you pray? Do you ask God to heal or to give to you? Why not? Can you not see how willing He is to do this for you?
There is no "Health and Wealth Gospel". There is only the truth about the never ending love, generosity and grace of your Heavenly Father.
Amen
Don't be fooled. God is as real as ever. He is a living entity. His guidelines set forth in the Bible on how to live your life will only bring you peace, health and blessings.
Well, I am about to sound off about a couple things that are not popular
to sound off about these days. However. . . . some churches,
Christians and pastors today are tiptoeing around the truth of the
Bible, God's word. Too many are concerned about offending someone or
driving people from church with the truth. If they take offense or
leave because of the truth, let them go. They will only pollute the
body. The truth will strengthen the church and true Christians. The
Bible is our manual for living yesterday, today and tomorrow. God never
changes. Since He created man, the manual on how to live is important
for keeping us in the best lifestyle that blesses us. We have to
return to the truth especially in this day of "political correctness"
which threatens the very foundation of our society.
Here are a
couple verses to remind us of the importance of truth: I John 4:6, II
Timothy 2:15 and Ephesians 6:14 which tells us, "Stand firm then, with
the belt of truth buckled around your waist. . .". God's truth, as
stated in His word, the Bible, is that abortion is premeditated murder,
sex before marriage is wrong, a gay lifestyle is an abomination and
tithing to the church is ordained. There are other truths that are
being swept under the carpet these days but these four are some major
issues.
Abortion: Ex. 10:13 tells us not to murder. (Original text uses the word "murder", not "kill") God knows the unborn child, Ps. 139:13,15. We are created in the image of God; that makes life special. We are told to be fruitful and multiply - the opposite of killing an unborn child. Gen.1:28 Also see Gen.9:6 & 7.
Sex before marriage: In Song of Songs 2:7, 3:5 and 8:4, there is a strong warning against premarital sex when it says, "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires" - three times. In other words, save sex for marriage! There are special blessings for the married couple that come from obedience to this rule. I have known many who regretted sex before marriage but have yet to meet a couple that were sorry they waited.
Gay lifestyle: Lev.18:22, 20:13; these verses are very plain. There is also the story in Sodom where a crowd of the town wanted Lot to turn over the two male visitors in his house so they could have sexual relations with them. There is no indication that the townsmen were aware the visitors were angels.
Tithing: The is the foundation of giving appreciation to God for everything. Genesis 14:20 is the first instance of tithing and it was done by Abraham to God's representative, Melchizedek, right after they partook of the first communion 14:18. Tithing has been ordered ever since. The Bible is full of blessings listed that come to those who tithe. The tithe is returned to God through His representative on earth, the church.
How many ills of society can you name that have their roots in these issues? Disease, heartbreak, broken homes, broken hearts, mental and emotional breakdowns, suicide, adoption, abandonment, alcoholism, and the list goes on.
Anyone who knows me will tell you, I get along with
everyone and I am not about to condemn the individual for the action.
Heaven knows I have done my share of wrong living. This is one reason I
feel I can spout off. I have lived a lifestyle without God and
presently try to live according to God's instruction as stated in the
Bible. It is amazing what a difference it really makes in my life to
follow the guidelines my maker put into force at the time of creation.
You actually have to walk the walk before you can see the results. Your
first step has to be through faith; the rest will come. When we can
understand His absolute love and find the faith to follow through with
right choices, our lives improve immeasurably. THIS IS TRUTH.
God
set all of His instructions in place for our benefit physically,
emotionally, spiritually and looking to the future. We are rebellious
children and when we disobey, punishment comes through our physical,
emotional and spiritual well being. This explains so much unhappiness
in the world today. Our choices need to mature. We need to give up our
selfish lifestyle and live the rich blessings of right choice.
Further
reading: John 4:24, 8:34, Psalms 119:160, 145:18 and I John 3:18
which says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but
with actions and in truth."
*Title for this writing is a quote from my mother that she was fond of.
Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed
order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: Jeremiah 31:35
In the verse above and Exodus 15:11, we are reminded of the awesome
power and authority of God. When we understand this, we develop what is
known as "awe" of God. Awe is a reverential fear. This is not fear
that sends us running for a secure place to hide (as if that existed
with God). This is the type of fear that recognizes the power and
majesty of the All Might; the type of fear that produces respect for the
greatest power in the universe that loves us beyond any human
understanding. We see and understand the power of our Creator. This
can be related to the awe we had of our parents when we were young. We
recognized that they had the power to reject, reward, discipline, deny,
give and create the atmosphere of our lives.
Once we reach this
state of "awe", we want to worship and praise in gratitude - just as we
felt about our parents. When young, they controlled our entire world
and we stood in awe of the way they went about the business of work and
providing everything. In Psalm 68:35, we are told of the power of God
that He can give to us. In Isaiah 66:2, we are told of who He favors
among His people.
Our parents were proud of us and bragged on us
when we were respectful. We were rewarded when we obeyed them and did
as we were instructed. I recognized that my mother had all authority
and she demanded respect. We feared what she could do if she did not
get that respect (awe) through our disobedience. At the same time, we
were certain of her love because of the way she commanded right living.
I loved my mother, obeyed her and she returned this with love. I
respected her for her power over me and she loved me for it.
God
bestows good things, blessings, on those who who trust Him. Psalm
31:19. In Luke 1:50, we are told that proper fear of God grants us
mercy from Him. We learn in Psalm 103:11 that God loves those who love
Him. Love comes from respect, a type of awe. Isaiah 33:6 tells us that
through fear/awe of the Lord, we will be given salvation, wisdom and
knowledge as treasure.
The Lord listens to and hears those who
fear Him. Malachi 3:16-17 Proverbs 14:27 tells us we can receive
health and long life through fear of the Lord. Proverbs 19:23 goes
further to add that our life will be content and untouched by trouble
when we fear Him. Finally, we see in Proverbs 22:4 that even riches and
honor are added to our life for fearing the Lord.
How do we
stand in awe and fear the Lord? We accept His unconditional love and
grace imparted to us as a free gift through the sacrifice of His son on
the cross.
We do not have to earn this love from God; His grace is a free gift. Our sins were forgiven on the cross. Hebrews 10:12 Amen
Jesus is our Good Samaritan. The parable in Luke 10 tells of a man in
need after being set upon by robbers. They stripped him, beat him and
left him half dead. In this story, I see people of the world, beaten
down by life, with little or no hope after they have all their needs and
finding they are not happy. Life has a way of beating us down with
trials, disappointments and sorrow. The enemy sets upon those who have
nothing to hold on to beyond physical possessions. We get beaten down
to where there seems to be no way out of our troublesome situations.
Then,
along comes Jesus, our Good Samaritan. The Samaritans were not liked
among the Jewish people just as they did not accept Jesus. Read the
story to see how much He cares for us. He is ready, very willing and
very able to help anyone. There was the untold risk of robbers
returning to finish their job or the risk of other robbers stealing from
and beating the Samaritan - just as Jesus was beaten and robbed of
everything in order to mount the cross for us.
The Samaritan
poured oil and wine on the wounds of the beaten man just as Jesus can
spiritually anoint and heal us of our physical and emotional hurts. He
took him to shelter and cared for him over night like Jesus cares to
bring us close to Him. Could this be the grace of Jesus calling us to a
life of peace in Him?
The next day this Samaritan paid an innkeeper to
continue caring for the man. Do you see how Jesus, after calling us to
a life in Him, turns us over to the church for baptism an receipt of
the Holy Spirit for guidance, teaching and safety? There is also a
promise to return, just as the promise we have that Jesus will return to
claim us to His eternal care and protection. The extra expense mentioned in this parable, refers to that extra mile we are to go for those in need. Complete the task. Take care of every unexpected need.
The Samaritan gave
the innkeeper two denarii for the man's care. That was the equivalent
of two days wage. If a day is as a thousand years to God, could this
represent the 2,000 years, from then until now, before Jesus' return?
What a wonderful thought that we will live and reign with the Savior who
wants to tend all our needs.
Amen
Let's establish right away that the Hebrew language is the official
language of the Old Testament Bible. It was the language God gave to
Adam. It was the language Moses used to write the first five books of
the Bible. It was the language all the Old Testament prophets spoke and
wrote. Hebrew was the language taught to all Hebrew and Jewish
children for reading, writing and study of the law and prophets. It was
the language Jesus was taught and used in the temple. We know this.
So, why do we prefer our English translations over the Hebrew?
Arrogance and familiarity. We prefer what we have been taught and are
comfortable with. Get over it! We are missing so many teachings and
deeper meanings of scripture that can bring us into a more personal
relationship with and understanding of our Heavenly Father..
The
history of Bible translation began with a necessity: people should be
able to read the Bible in their own languages as the gospel was taken
into the world. As familiarity with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek
declined, Biblical translation was done in new languages.
The
Bible was not translated into English until the fourteenth century.
Latin was the dominant language in the western church. The Bible used in
the church was Jerome's Vulgate (completed in 405) - in Latin.
Sporadic attempts to translate parts of the Bible into Old English
(before 1100) gave limited access to the Bible for those who did not
know Latin (mainly the uneducated). By now, both Greek and Hebrew
(difficult languages to translate), are being interpreted by English
speaking Christians.
We have some manuscripts from the ninth and
tenth centuries that are "interpretations". The most famous is the
Lindisfarne Gospels that are in the British Museum. However, this is
not a complete translation/interpretation.
In the years
1100-1550, John Wycliffe, John Purvey, and Nicholas of Hereford got
together to produce the first complete Bible in English. There were two
editions of the Wycliffe Bible. They were both translations of the Latin
text. The first edition was a literal translation from Latin into
English. There was a second edition completed in 1396. It circulated
more widely, rather than the more literal translation. (?) The focus
was on the meaning of sentences, rather than words. Hebrew is a
difficult language to translate properly into other languages.
Translators were not Hebrew/Jewish so did not always select an English
word that properly translated the Hebrew. Then, there were those times
when personal understanding did the translating.
As a result of
this work, Wycliffe and his followers, "the Lollards" suffered
persecution as heretics. Purvey and Nicholas were forced to recant
their work. In 1408. The Constitutions of Oxford included a prohibition
against Bible translation without approval of church "authorities", who
were English speaking Christians. (Let us not forget it was church
"authorities" that crucified Christ)
By the sixteenth century, a
number of events affected later Bible translations even more. The
Renaissance brought on a recovery of classic learning. Greek scholars
moved westward as Constantinople fell to the Turks (1453). The
invention of the printing press around 1450 was a profound influence on
Bible translation. By 1488, there were printed editions of the Hebrew
Bible into English . The Protestant Reformation in 1517, called for
versions of local dialects. The break with Rome in England also
influenced the course of the English Bible that had already been
translated several times.
More recently, William Tyndale
(1484-1536) was a Greek scholar educated at Oxford with a desire to
provide a readable Bible to the average person. He based his English
New Testament on a Greek text established by Erasmus in 1516. He printed
it in Europe in 1526 and revised it in 1534. Myles Coverdale produced
the first complete English Bible of the sixteenth century in 1535.
Subsequently, in 1611, King James gave his blessing to a new translation, Authorized Version or the King James Bible.
More
recent discoveries of the Codex Sinaiticus (early Greek papyri of New
Testament documents), and the Dead Sea scrolls aided (or affected) new
translations we use today (New English Bible, New International Version,
and the Jerusalem Bible).
So many people are stuck on the King
James as the official translation. I present to you that none are 100%
correct. The Bible was first translated in part and then patched in
pieces to become a complete book to be revised over and over. God
states in the Bible itself not to change a jot or tittle. ("Jot" and
"tittle" are Hebrew words for exclamation and pronunciation marks around
letters.) I further present that our best understanding of God's word
is directly from Hebrew text along with understanding of Hebrew and
Jewish culture. More and more people deny the Jewish right of
translating the Old Testament. I say it is the work of the Enemy to
turn Christianity against God's chosen people. Our enemy is subtly
turning us from the truth more by the day.
God's word tells us to
discern for ourselves. As children of God, we are to "seek" Him
through truth found in original writings. It is to the children (of
God; us) that wisdom may be imparted. Matt. 11:25
In summary:
God's word, in the Hebrew and Greek languages, has been interpreted and
translated through the centuries by English speaking Christian scholars
and patched together after reformations. How dare we resign ourselves
to any one translation and call it "absolute". We need to get back to
real in depth study of original texts. In our modern world, God's
children should not be poo-pooing teachings from original texts.
Amen
People are always quick with advice that makes everything worse
instead of better; they always repeat the same cliche' . They mean
well. They actually want to help but there is little they can do and
even less they can say that will help. Truth is, despair is a lonesome
valley and you are the only one who can walk through it, by yourself.
About
seven years were spent writing down my pitiful youth and all the
mistakes I made because I let others have control over my self worth.
It took me a long time to be able to look back over all the losses and
disappointments and see how it all happened for a reason. There was
loss of children, rejection, divorce, loss, grief, failure, drinking,
more loss, disease, more divorce, more rejection and more loss. I ran
from myself and suppressed feelings and memories until I was numb -
without any feeling. I was in that "lonesome valley" all by myself.
At
my lowest emotional point, I had a loaded gun in my hand trying to
decide the most effective way to use it so I would actually kill myself
and not make a mistake that would leave me a cripple the rest of my
life. That would have been worse than death: drooling, blind, in a
wheel chair and/or wearing a diaper with others wiping my chin, or my
"cheeks". Thoughts like this are enough to make you hesitate - at
least.
For me, it was God. I did not hear a voice. I did not
see a burning bush. There was no lightening or thunder. Just a quiet
thought planted in my head. It was the perfect thought to stop me. It
was God relating to me, through the Holy Spirit, in a way I could
understand. Let me print a few lines from my book, "Evidence of God":
Late
one evening, after business hours, sitting in the back room of my shop,
I was holding a loaded gun in my lap. I had taken it from John’s
dresser when I moved out. Must have sat there for a long time watching
light on the wall turn to shadow. I wasn’t thinking, just being numb.
When thoughts did return, they were about how to do it: in the mouth, in
the ear, my temple? Was the safety off? Was it a tight trigger? Lots
of questions.
The thing about happiness: It’s a choice. But, I
was a prisoner of the pain. Suicide is desperate, it is hostile, it
is tragic. These are the legacies for those left behind after suicide:
guilt, anger, doubt, blame, fear, rejection, abandonment and profound
grieving. Most people don’t want to talk about it, don’t even want to
think about it. It is too raw and it’s way too confusing.
The bottom
of my life had come up and smashed me in the face. You don’t get over
major life obstacles; you go through them. You never forget; you learn
to live with the memories. What seemed like impossible obstacles in my
life were a series of great opportunities that I could not see from my
pit of depression - that "lonesome valley".
The olive, grape
and grain are used through out the Bible as examples in stories and
parables. Each one has to be crushed before it can be used for oil,
wine and bread. Just as these examples tell us, God has to crush us
before He can use us.
As I sat there, a voice came into my
head. A small voice way in the back, soft but clear. “You can’t give
life, so you can’t take life.”
That’s all I can recall. I’m
writing this text today so I must not have pulled the trigger. The
pastor’s remark comes back to me about getting baptized quickly because
trials were coming. In my heart, I am convinced it was the spirit of
God speaking to me that night as evidence of God’s patience, wisdom and
love.
No way am I suggesting that you get a loaded gun to
get an answer from God or otherwise. Just want to relate a few thoughts
I had/have about the subject. I do want to tell you that there is a
way out - always. BUT, it isn't an easy one. If it were, there would
be no meaning to life. YOU have to find YOUR way. YOU have to learn to live with your issues without revenge or grudges. You have
to find the loving way for it to work. God is really the easiest way.
Call on Him. Ask for an answer. Dump on Him, tell Him how you feel. I
mean, really pour it out. Find professional help if you need it. Call
a help line.
Life is an amazing gift from God. The enemy is
real and he wants your life. The devil wants you dead. This is
something that is hard to see when you are in that valley. He doesn't
want to see you alive, happy or prospering the way God does. GOD LOVES
YOU! You, Y-O-U were created individual with your unique traits and
personality because you are special to Him. He does not want to see you
in despair, unhappy, suffering or without any necessity. Take my word
for it. I've been there. I found my way out. It wasn't easy but I am
stronger, more confident, healthier, happier and more prosperous for
going THROUGH it. I didn't have to do it all alone. God took my
hand and we walked out of that lonesome valley together. It is worth
the fight. It is worth it to be alive.
I
was stopped at a traffic light just the other day. Sitting there,
watching local activity, I noticed a young father with a little girl.
She was not tall enough to reach his belt and had hold of her daddy's
hand.
She
was reaching up and he was reaching down. With every couple steps he
took, he glanced down at her and smiled. He walked at a pace she
could handle and was very aware of her short steps. His proud love was
on his face. She was smiling as she held her daddy's hand, sure of his
love, protection and guidance.
"See," a voice inside me pointed out, "Just like God, the Father."
More
than any earthly father, God is always with us, always concerned,
directing our steps, watching over us. How beautiful is His love.
Because
of the blood of Jesus, God can only see us as He saw that precious
man. In the eyes of our Heavenly Father, we are perfect and He loves
us.
Our
sins (past, present and future) are gone once and for all. He is
watching us and protecting us. Our lives are so complete in Him who
provides our every need and answers our prayers. Belief is all we need
to acquire this love, guidance and protection.
We are saved.
We are free.
Praise be to God / Baruk ata Adonai
Amen
https://www.seek-and-find.net
A friend gave me a book to read. The author is convincing my
friend that "all will be saved". None will be left behind. No one is
going to hell (whatever you perceive hell to be).
In
the opening statement of the Foreword, the author uses the argument
that love never fails. He is referring to the love of God. He also
uses the argument that God is complete love. I say, God is too loving NOT to punish the ungodly. The fact that He is perfect means He MUST punish the wicked.
If a father does not punish the bad children, then why are the good
children being good? If all are rewarded, there is no incentive to
please the parent and the parent goes without respect and chaos reigns. God is order.
A. W. Tozer also made a good argument for the love of God being used to pacify the conscience.
Those
who show mercy to the cruel, end up being cruel to those who deserve
mercy. To spare a ravenous lion is an act of injustice to the sheep. . .
Dennis Prager
The author also uses the quote, "God would that all would be saved". I Tim 2:3 - 6 Because God is love, He did provide a way for everyone - His son Jesus. God is a just God so He will punish. Any who would enter His Kingdom will have to believe in His Son, Jesus. Heb
10:14 says, "those who are being made holy" pointing out that those
made holy are separate from others. There are those who will be saved
and those who will not.
What about "narrow is the
way"? Mt 7:14 & 15 If everyone is going to make it, the gate would have to be wide
to let them all in. There is only one way to heaven; to believe on the
Lord, Jesus Christ. The wide gate is the one most will be taking to
destruction. Acts 16:31 says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will
be saved" pointing out the believers are separate from the non
believers.
You
can also check out:
> Ro 6:23 tells us, "The wages of sin is death."
> Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else (Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
> Ro 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord".
> Ro 10:9 - 11, "If
you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
> Col 1:13 & 14, "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Rev. 20:15 is pretty clear about about
the judgement. Many want to discount this verse as "conjecture" or
"symbolism". Why would one line out of all the Bible be conjecture when
the rest of the Bible is taken as fact?
Amen
Sitting in a mid week church service, the speaker was talking about how to distinguish and hear the voice of God.
At one point, he stated, "If anyone in here has heard His voice audibly, I want to know about it." It sounded like a smug dare. As if he were saying that no has heard the voice of God. He, himself is giving a message about how to hear God and saying, in the same breath, he doesn't believe it happens.
I have heard the voice of God. I know it. I knew it was God at the time. No question. No hesitation. "My sheep hear my voice" Jn 10:27
When I related my story to a Bible study group, a friend asked, "Why does God talk to you and not to me?". My answer, "Are you listening?"
The issue is not whether or not God speaks to us but rather, do we hear Him. I do not remember a time in my life when I did not talk to God. I have not thought much about it. He is God and I am little ol' me. Of course, I understand He hears me and does or does not act upon my conversation; His choice. He is God and I am little ol' me. He did choose, one time, to speak to me.
Let me relate my story so you may better understand my point:
It had been pointed out to me that 10 Native American families, living in a state of poverty, would be without Christmas gifts and meals for their children. In this Native community that is an average of about 50 children - all without food and gifts at the most celebrated holiday in Christianity.
During evening prayer, I related the issue to my Heavenly Father and asked Him to help. I went to sleep with little further thought. Around 2:00 in the morning, there was a physical tap on my shoulder and an audible voice within me saying, "Do something". I immediately knew who was talking and what He was talking about. Right now, I cannot believe how I did not question who or what, as I woke from a sound sleep. There was no time to think about it, I just knew; even though, I had never heard an audible voice before and, I was around 63 years of age.
However, I did argue with Him. Here again, I cannot believe myself and the boldness I had to argue with almighty God Himself. "How can I help 50 Indian children?" The voice spoke again, "Do something". Again, without question of who or what, I continued, "My husband and I are not rich. We cannot provide Christmas for these children along with the traditional meal". "Do something" "I can't. I don't know where to start." "Do something" "What can I do?"
After a few minutes of this, the voice said, "I will help you". That was it! He was done speaking and I was done arguing. He offered to help and I believed Him. I went back to sleep.
To shorten what could be a long story, by the end of the next day, I had the traditional meal and gifts for all 50 children. It did not cost me or my husband a single cent. Everything was donated by a total stranger and my Bible study group. And. . . I did not even have to ask them to do it.
Had I not listened to the voice of God, and recognized it, this story could not be told.
I wonder how many times in my life, He might have spoken to me in other ways and I did not hear or recognize His voice. He does not always speak so boldly to people. Many times, He gives us answers or comments through other people, media, His written word or a feeling that stirs and grows inside prodding us to action. He knows I am stubborn and not good at subtleties. So I figure He had to be bold enough that night, to get my attention.
My point: God speaks to each of His children; any believer. We have to be ready to hear and know Him well enough to recognize His voice over the enemy.
Over the years, I have experienced His answers to prayers in subtle ways. He has not spoken to me, audibly, since that night but I am more aware of how He can and does communicate.
This amazing God of ours is with any believer, waiting for you to just listen to what He has to say. Start the conversation, expect an answer and see how He will communicate with you.
Amen
We are taught that God is above.
How can God "lift up His countenance upon you" when He is above us in all things ? For God to lift up
His countenance upon us, requires that we be above Him. Does it make
any sense that we are up and God is below, so that He can lift up His
countenance upon us ???? No. He is the Father and we are His
children. Children always look up to their parents. As children grow,
it goes from a physical looking up to a respectful looking up.
In the picture below, this phrase makes perfect sense.
The
Hebrew word "Abba" in the Christian world is translated "Father". This
word more accurately translates "Daddy". He is a "Daddy God". So less
formal and more affectionate as "Daddy".
Everything He does for us can be related to a loving Daddy.
My
own father left my mother and three children when I was eight years old
(I was the oldest). He was never there for me, never answered letters
or visited and never sent mother any help for our support. He could not
be depended on. He was not available to teach us or discipline us. No
strong arms to pick us up when we fell from a bike. No encouragement
or praise.
I
have stated in earlier blogs that I knew God from a very young age;
even before I attended school. This has helped me get through my life
with a daddy - a great one.
Anyone can be a father; it takes a special person to be a "Daddy".
God
can always be likened to the guiding love of a Daddy. If you have
children of your own, you can get an idea of how He relates to us.
Always keep in mind: unlike us, He is perfect and never gets tired of us
or impatient with us. He is waiting to hear from us. He is always
forgiving and looks on us with pride. His discipline is allowing us to
suffer the consequences of our own poor choices. If we insist on
touching the hot stove - we will get a burn.
Such
a loving father to sacrifice His first born son and perfect son, Jesus,
to save His other children who are so far less than perfect.
God is so much more, so understanding, loving, kind, patient. How blessed we are to be able to call him "Daddy".
Amen
Ever heard the saying, "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat"? See Mt 14:22-33
In a Sunday message at a church that I was visiting, the pastor commented, "If anyone in here is walking on water, I would like to know. You need to be up here teaching the rest of us."
This sounded like sarcasm to me and demeaning to his congregation. He sounded like he did not believe anyone, today, in this world, could have the faith to follow Jesus and do miracles.
I have done and witnessed miracles in the name of Jesus. This means I did not do the deeds; rather, the deeds were done in His name, by Him, through the Holy Spirit. It does happen. Many believers do, and receive, miracles. Ro 8:28
Just believe He can and will. Heb 11:1
There are testimonies daily from people who witness miracles in their own lives by believing in spiritual healing and/or having the faith to call a work in His name. Pastors and evangelists perform healings and good works by calling on the name of Jesus. God answers millions of prayers around the world on a daily basis.
Sometimes,
we loose sight of Jesus and we sink. But, other times, it is easier to
keep our eyes on the prize and follow through.
The pastor's comment on Sunday seemed like mockery to me. How dare any one mock the Holy Spirit? These gifts are not limited to prophets and spiritual leaders but given to any believer in Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8
After all, the Holy Spirit resides in all believers. II Cor 5:17 The spirit lives in us. I have called on Him in the name of Jesus to heal. I pray for people and situations. I make effort to serve others. There are many people out there today "walking on water", and much more than me.
Any believer, in faith, can call on the name of Jesus to enable us to perform works of healing, surviving, sharing and giving. I John 2:6
Let's learn to recognize teaching that is not correct when we hear it. Do not see yourself as being less than you are through Christ.
Jesus is alive and well. What are you waiting for? Get out of the boat!
Amen ?
The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Gen 21:8
In the verse above we see Isaac weaned off of milk so he could consume
solid food. Hebrew children were weaned at three to five years of age
and their religious training began at that time. In a spiritual way,
babes in Christ grow to taking solid food; the word of God. We grow
from taking God's word in literal form to reading with understanding as
we grow. We learned the 10 Commandments as children. As we mature and
grow in the understanding of Jesus, His sacrifice and the grace we have
through Him, we are said to be eating the "bread of life" - Jesus. We
realize we no longer need the milk (God's perfect law) because we cannot
grow healthy on just milk. We now have bread (the grace of Jesus).
Through understanding grace over law, we can mature in Jesus. We, as
Christians, can grow in understanding and reflect the light of Jesus in
this world.
Just a few years ago, I did not understand the bread
of Communion for healing. I saw speaking in tongues done in the wrong
way and did not accept it. There was a time that I did not believe in
anointing for healing. I thought the 10 Commandments were our absolute
law for living; that we could loose our salvation if we did not keep
them. I was self righteous; I was judgemental.. I did not have joy. I
thought the rapture was folklore. I recently realized that I did not
grasp the concept of the trinity. Over the past couple, or three, years
I have been shown the grace of God and my understanding of all these
things has come to light through scripture. I can now read with greater
understanding. I was the babe on milk until I was taught the grace of
God and found the bread of life; Jesus.
And you shall love the Lord your God out of with your whole heart, and
out of with all your soul and out of with your mind - with your faculty
of thought and your moral understanding - and out of with all your
strength. Mk 12:30 & 31
My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. II Cor 12:9
Congratulations!
The angels in heaven are rejoicing over your decision.
Lk 15:7&10
If
you answered an alter call, made a public confession or a private
repentance, get Baptized! When you are baptized, the Holy Spirit is
imparted to you. Even Jesus (full of the spirit from birth) did this as
an example for us. Mt 3:13-15 (Studies have proven that baptized
Christians have a different DNA after baptism as opposed to before. You
will TRULY be a new person.) Mt 28:19, Lk 11:13, Acts 11:16
The
Holy Spirit is a piece of God's Spirit that will live in you from now
on. This will give you strength and conviction to help you live a
Christian life and make contact with him easier. Mk 12:36, Lk 12:12, Jn
14:26 You will receive the "gifts of the spirit" so you can begin to
use and develop them in the name of Jesus, your savior.
It
is a sad situation today that most Christians get very excited over new
converts but churches have few programs set in place to help you
understand what comes next and what it is to be Christian, let alone if
you are new to the concept.
First,
BRACE YOURSELF ! Satan is mad. If you haven't already, you will be
facing some pretty heavy trial/temptation. This is why you need the
Holy Spirit to draw from strength that is imparted from God. The
Enemy does not want followers of Jesus. His time is coming, he knows it
and he is getting very desperate. You can count on him coming at you.
Get ready to fight the good fight and get as close to Jesus as you
can.
I Tim 6:12, Heb 10:32
It
is not easy to be a Christian - especially today. In many countries,
Christians are put to death for their belief. America today, is
becoming more and more conflicted over Christianity. Indeed, there are
fewer converts in America and a growing number in third world countries.
With
the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will be turning your life around.
You will be feeling the tug of right vs wrong in many facets of life:
entertainment, fashion, prayer, Bible study, substance abuse, tithing,
holiday celebrations, literature, media and maybe even your diet. This
will all depend on your situation and how fast you mature as a
Christian. Big or small, changes are coming. If urged by the spirit,
you will be happier for the changes.
Cheer up! There is lots of good news.
You
are now a child of the Most High God, an inheritor of everything that
Jesus (our brother) inherits. Stand up straight, have some pride in how
you present yourself; be confident. A changed attitude will take you
farther. You are a child of the supreme being, an Ambassador of Heaven
itself. You are the light in the dark of this world and the salt of the
earth.
Mt. 5:13 You are God's righteousness. God will send His angels to give charge over you. Ps 91:11
If you find yourself getting low and being tempted by pity, get out and do something for someone else; any small thing.
Yes,
times are tough, but you now have God, your new spiritual Father, on
your side. A father that loves like no other, never leaves you,
provides for you, wants you healthy, prosperous and happy. He is as
close as a conversation, a prayer, hymn of praise, the Bible. He wants
you to converse with Him, dump your problems (no matter how small) and
ask Him for whatever you need. Jesus was refreshed after He gave of
Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well. God is a giver.
Don't
go crazy and start throwing out the baby with the bath water. God
wants your happiness and He is not unreasonable. Don't get too hard on
yourself. Don't worry about being formal with God; just talk to Him.
The Spirit will show you what to do. Be sure to listen for His
prompting. Relax, God's got your back.
Find
a Bible based church that teaches Jesus. It is commanded to be part of
"the body" (the church) and tithing is a great blessing. Take
communion regularly, to thank God for healing and covering our sins with
the blood of His precious son. Give of yourself and your finances to
help others and you will be replenished. No one can give like your new
Father. I truly believe that everything we give and share is given back
to us with interest. Your Father will not let you go without because
you help another.
You
don't have to go off to "Timbucktoo", stand on a street corner and
predict the end of the world or start preaching to your family and
friends. Just relax and live your life as you think God wants you to.
Do no harm. A time may come when the Spirit will kick you softly in the
butt and urge you to do something. Be the light in the dark and teach
by example of right living. You will develop a constant smile and a
glow from within that will draw the world to you - just like Jesus.
If
you don't know where to start reading the Bible, the book of John is
always a great choice. You can read the Psalms (a personal favorite of
mine is Ps 91). David was a song writer, shepherd, king, warrior and
prophet. Proverbs is good to learn how to live a Christian life.
Romans will teach you the grace of God.
You can always read this blog.
Perhaps
the best promise to a new Christian is "Fear Not"; a constant reminder
from God that a believer can rest his cares in the loving grace of God
and sleep through the storms.
May God's amazing complete peace be with you.
Amen
www.seek-and-find.net
