The passage is Matthew 24:15-16, which reads, “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
I find it interesting that to the hearers of these words in Jesus’ day, they would have had the effect of bringing correction to anyone who had been of the opinion that this prophecy in Daniel had already been fulfilled. Per Jesus, the prophecy of Daniel concerning “the abomination of desolation” was to be yet future. In other words, this prophecy of our Lord, would have debunked "preterist" ideas in Jesus’ day. I believe it is ironic, therefore, this same prophecy of our Lord, when properly unpacked, becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back of all the various forms of modern preterism as well.
Allow me to explain…
There are three passages in the Book of Daniel in which the abomination of desolation is described. These are: Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11
It was the correct understanding in Jesus’ day that this was a prophecy concerning a gentile king who would come to Jerusalem, defile the temple, entering it and setting up an image of himself to be worshipped in the holy of holies.
It is the testimony of Jesus, Paul and John in New Testament that this prophecy was to be yet future. We’ve already read Jesus’ words above. Paul says further, “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thess. 2:3-4)
In the Book of Revelation chapter 13, John corroborates aspects of this expectation, where in fantastic imagery he depicts an evil authority in the last times exercising control over the peoples of the earth including Jerusalem and its temple. This evil entity is assisted by a second equally evil entity which causes all under penalty of death to worship an image of this evil ruler.
In prophesying that the abomination of desolation is a yet future event, Jesus ran counter to the beliefs of many Jews in his own day, who believed the prophecy of Daniel had already been fulfilled. Without using the term “preterist”, those who held to the past fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel were in fact the practical preterists of their day.
Jews had believed the prophecy of Daniel had been fulfilled in 167 BC. Jewish writers of the day used the exact same idiom as we find in Matthew 24:15, to describe the invasion of the Jerusalem temple by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC. It was referred to with the same Greek phrase used for Jesus words to signify “the abomination of desolation”. After entering the holy of holies and demanding that he be worshipped as god, Antiochus had his right-hand-man install an image of himself there as god. For a period of three years the image of Antiochus remained and Antiochus’ assistant remained in Jerusalem to mandate that people worship the image under penalty of death. Sound familiar?
Isn’t it therefore ironic that Jesus' prophecy concerning the abomination of desolation is exactly the passage that overturns preterist ideas in our own day too? You see, the prophecy of Christ, that the abomination of desolation was to be yet future remains unfulfilled. Here's why...
It is an interesting detail of history that when the Roman-Emperor-to-be, Titus led his forces to Jerusalem to destroy it in 70 AD, he gave specific instructions that the Jewish temple was not to be looted or destroyed. We know this from Josephus. We may rightly speculate as to what plans Titus had for the Jewish temple. Did he intend to install an image in it of the Emperor of Rome to be worshipped? We will never know. You see he was prevented from doing so; in a seeming "fluke of happenstance" during the pitched battle against the Jewish militants in Jerusalem, a torch was tossed on a building nearby the temple. This started a fire which remarkably quickly engulfed the temple and burned it to the ground.
No gentile foot was able to step into the temple to defile it. It was gone. No praises to ceasar ever echoed in its corridors. No standards of the effigies of the deities of Rome were able to victoriously march through its interiors. No images of the deities of Rome or of the Emperor were ever installed there. In short, the abomination of desolation never occurred. 70 AD had come and gone without the fulfillment of the prophecy.
It is due to a lack of understanding of the events that actually transpired in AD 70, that some today actually believe that Daniel’s prediction was fulfilled at that time. It was not. It remains to be fulfilled.
The abomination of desolation is to be an idol installed in a Jewish temple in Jerusalem otherwise built for the worship of God. Nothing else would fulfill the words of Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John.
Jesus contradicted ideas of His time in stating the abomination of desolation was yet future. It is even now yet future. The words of Jesus overturned the preterist ideas of his day as they still do to preterist ideas in our own.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Saturday, February 21, 2009
ESV / NETS Rebound Bible(s) Project
Last week I took two of my favorite Bible versions to the book binder to have them combined into a superb Bible study tool. I had the English Standard Version Bible with Apocrypha bound together with the New English Translation of the Septuagint. They are both published by Oxford and are the same dimensions.
I took them to an excellent book binder locally. He did a superb job! This is my favorite Bible of all time!
Here's the negatives
- The new ESV is printed on paper that has quite a bit of bleed-through
- The NETS, after binding together with the ESV and having the page ends smoothed, looses about a 1/32th of its margins.
- The ESV Apocrypha (forgive this and later uses of that innacurate word) being based upon prior editions of the RSV Apocrypha, means the version of Tobit is the shorter recension and Sirach lacks the recovered Hebrew fragments, (both of which can be had in the NRSV).
- The ESV Apocrypha is a VERY light revision of the RSV Apocrypha, mainly they've updated English vocabulary here and there
- The ESV Apocrypha drops the translation of the Hebrew text of Psalm 151 recovered from the DSS, and which is presnt in the RSV and NRSV
- Neither the ESV nor the NETS have a thorough cross-reference system
Here's the positives
- The RSV Apocrypha is an excellent translation of those books
- The NETS contains a translation of the longer version of Tobit
- The new ESV with Apocrypha contains both the Hebrew and full Greek versions of Esther
- Having the ESV and the NETS in one volume simply makes comparing the English translations of the MT and LXX a joy, which more than outweighs the above-mentioned negatives
For this experiment, I was more concerned with whether this would be a practical undertaking more than I was concerned with aesthetics. I therefore took a fairly cheep route-- hard bound. It turned out very well I feel. I have already had a nice time using the two books in conjunction with one another. I'm already tempted to redo it in pig skin! :)
The book binder I used was Herring and Robinson who are local to me:
http://www.herringandrobinsonbookbinders.com/
I took them to an excellent book binder locally. He did a superb job! This is my favorite Bible of all time!
Here's the negatives
- The new ESV is printed on paper that has quite a bit of bleed-through
- The NETS, after binding together with the ESV and having the page ends smoothed, looses about a 1/32th of its margins.
- The ESV Apocrypha (forgive this and later uses of that innacurate word) being based upon prior editions of the RSV Apocrypha, means the version of Tobit is the shorter recension and Sirach lacks the recovered Hebrew fragments, (both of which can be had in the NRSV).
- The ESV Apocrypha is a VERY light revision of the RSV Apocrypha, mainly they've updated English vocabulary here and there
- The ESV Apocrypha drops the translation of the Hebrew text of Psalm 151 recovered from the DSS, and which is presnt in the RSV and NRSV
- Neither the ESV nor the NETS have a thorough cross-reference system
Here's the positives
- The RSV Apocrypha is an excellent translation of those books
- The NETS contains a translation of the longer version of Tobit
- The new ESV with Apocrypha contains both the Hebrew and full Greek versions of Esther
- Having the ESV and the NETS in one volume simply makes comparing the English translations of the MT and LXX a joy, which more than outweighs the above-mentioned negatives
For this experiment, I was more concerned with whether this would be a practical undertaking more than I was concerned with aesthetics. I therefore took a fairly cheep route-- hard bound. It turned out very well I feel. I have already had a nice time using the two books in conjunction with one another. I'm already tempted to redo it in pig skin! :)
The book binder I used was Herring and Robinson who are local to me:
http://www.herringandrobinsonbookbinders.com/
Thursday, October 30, 2008
In Praise of the NETS
For those of you interested in Septuagint studies and the Psalms of Solomon. The NETS is "A New Translation of the Septuagint" which contains readable and scholarly translations of the Greek O.T. It also contains a new translation of the Psalms of Solomon. I can hardly put the NETS O.T. down, its that good.
You can test drive the NETS before buying. You can download the PDFs for the NETS LXX into a folder on your hard drive and search them using Acrobat. You open Acrobat, use "search" and browse to the folder in which you downloaded the files. Acrobat will give you a document tree on the right which you can click into to go to the passages containing the word or phrase upon which you searched.
Dowloadable NETS
An interesting feature of the NETS edition of the Septuagint pictured below is it includes all the Books of the Greek O.T. which one finds in the RSV 1977 and the NRSV; additionally, the NETS includes the "Psalms of Solomon". (Click on the book image below for more info.)
For those counting, in addition to English translations of the ancient Greek versions of the 39 books of the Jewish Bible, the NETS contains what some term the "expanded Apocrypha" which was also translated for the 1977 RSV and the NRSV.
These include:
To which the NETS adds:
The Psalms of Solomon
You can test drive the NETS before buying. You can download the PDFs for the NETS LXX into a folder on your hard drive and search them using Acrobat. You open Acrobat, use "search" and browse to the folder in which you downloaded the files. Acrobat will give you a document tree on the right which you can click into to go to the passages containing the word or phrase upon which you searched.
Dowloadable NETS
An interesting feature of the NETS edition of the Septuagint pictured below is it includes all the Books of the Greek O.T. which one finds in the RSV 1977 and the NRSV; additionally, the NETS includes the "Psalms of Solomon". (Click on the book image below for more info.)
For those counting, in addition to English translations of the ancient Greek versions of the 39 books of the Jewish Bible, the NETS contains what some term the "expanded Apocrypha" which was also translated for the 1977 RSV and the NRSV.
These include:
To which the NETS adds:
The Psalms of Solomon
Friday, May 23, 2008
Can a person who has been Born Again, believe... [X]?
Can a person who has been Born Again, as required by Jesus, believe in [post false doctrine here]?
I will give my testimony on this point. When I became a believer in Christ, I had many false beliefs, (I'm pretty sure I've still got some lurking somewhere.) For instance, I thought Jesus was the Son of God meant He was not God. I accepted that as a given, having come under the influence of some JW literature I'd gotten ahold of earlier.
One day, someone said to me, Jesus is God, the Son. I said, no, he's God's son. That believer very gently took me through John chapter 1 and I saw Jesus was God in the flesh. My heart lept for joy, because this Jesus who had now come to live in me, was so great he was actually God too!
Yes, a believer can have very serious heretical beliefs. We are not saved by correct belief, else no one would be saved.
However, the regenerate one will also be amenable to the clear teaching of scripture and whether joyfully or not, will come to accept the truth as it is.
I will give my testimony on this point. When I became a believer in Christ, I had many false beliefs, (I'm pretty sure I've still got some lurking somewhere.) For instance, I thought Jesus was the Son of God meant He was not God. I accepted that as a given, having come under the influence of some JW literature I'd gotten ahold of earlier.
One day, someone said to me, Jesus is God, the Son. I said, no, he's God's son. That believer very gently took me through John chapter 1 and I saw Jesus was God in the flesh. My heart lept for joy, because this Jesus who had now come to live in me, was so great he was actually God too!
Yes, a believer can have very serious heretical beliefs. We are not saved by correct belief, else no one would be saved.
However, the regenerate one will also be amenable to the clear teaching of scripture and whether joyfully or not, will come to accept the truth as it is.
Do Protestants Really Believe a Million Different Things?
Even if there were a million different things I'm okay with it.
Not even two believers believe the same on all points.
Even when Christians split over issues and CLAIM its due to some "difference in belief" usually I find there's hurt feelings or egos underneath rather than hard core doctrinal differences. The 1054 schism was not essentially doctrinal, imo.
Viva la difference! I'll let the Lord sort it all out when He returns.
Fact is, we ARE one in the Spirit. Jesus prayer for union WAS answered and is being answered.
This Baptist believes in the holy catholic church and the communion of saints in the here-and-now.
I've enjoyed the Lord's Supper with "Closed" Bretheren, believe it or not, and then on down the block to the Pentycostals in Tourcoing, France.
If the Church had not enforced an artificial unity from 600 AD until 1000 AD, I believe we'd have even more variety today and the world would be a better place.
Freedom of thought in society fosters variety. I can live with that.
Someday the Supreme Arbiter will settle all disagreements. Maranatha!
Not even two believers believe the same on all points.
Even when Christians split over issues and CLAIM its due to some "difference in belief" usually I find there's hurt feelings or egos underneath rather than hard core doctrinal differences. The 1054 schism was not essentially doctrinal, imo.
Viva la difference! I'll let the Lord sort it all out when He returns.
Fact is, we ARE one in the Spirit. Jesus prayer for union WAS answered and is being answered.
This Baptist believes in the holy catholic church and the communion of saints in the here-and-now.
I've enjoyed the Lord's Supper with "Closed" Bretheren, believe it or not, and then on down the block to the Pentycostals in Tourcoing, France.
If the Church had not enforced an artificial unity from 600 AD until 1000 AD, I believe we'd have even more variety today and the world would be a better place.
Freedom of thought in society fosters variety. I can live with that.
Someday the Supreme Arbiter will settle all disagreements. Maranatha!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Are we all inveterate syncretists?
Someone with whom I was corresponding on the interent recently wrote, 'all I have learned, I learned from the Holy Spirit'.
As much as one might wish that were true, it isn't.
In my life I've learned from my parents, my siblings, my school teachers, authors of books, testimonies of others, my wife, and a lot more than I'd like from the school of hard knocks.
Honestly though, one of the hardest lessons I've learned is how unteachable I am! My hard heart resists the Holy Spirit far too often, there are some areas in my life where by now it would seem I should have progressed further than I have.
Here's the essential problem with the hubris implied by the initial statement: 'all that I've learned I've learned from the Holy Spirit', it oversimplifies reality to the point of error; for, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." It is the essential nature of 'having sin' that we are not so in-tune with the Holy Spirit that thats "all I learn".
And consider this: the problem that has beset folowers of Jesus Christ since the beginning is the purely human problem that we are all inveterate syncretists. Not to make this too complicated but from the time we first change our minds and put faith in Christ we only begin to UN-learn many wrong underlying assumptions about life and God. Yes, its true we've passed from death to life, yes, we are reborn of the spirit, yes, the eyes of our heart are opened and our spirit is made alive in Him, and THEN we BEGIN to extricate ourselves from the baggage of our false assumptions.
That to me seems to be a more accurate description of the reality of life than, 'all I have learned I have learned from the Holy Spirit'.
If you think you have not bit of syncretism in you, i.e., the mixing of your former assumptions about the world and about God with your current faith, you would be the first I have encountered.
Think about the two New Testament Simons: (Acts 8:13-24; Galatians 2:11-14)
Two Simons: Magus / Peter
Representing two Peoples: Non-Jew / Jew
From two pasts: roots in Magic / roots in Legalism
Having two revelations: Nature / Scripture
One failure: mixing the old with the new
One result: open rebuke
For me the two Simons stand in scripture as first-mentions, "types" if you will, of the two great besetting sins stumbling the followers of Christ since the first advent: legalism and magical thinking.
Doesn't the prophet assume the tendency to syncretism in us when he writes: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."?
Doesn't the lament, "My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?" also bear testimony to this?
One might be tempted toward a false dichotomy here and say, "The scriptures to which you refer are speaking of failures of the flesh and not the mixing of the true and the false," to which I would reply, please show me in scripture where one's beliefs are segregated from the actions by which they live their lives. Aren't the two inter-dependent? To put it another way, don't the failures of action and inaction in our lives reveal faults in our undelying thinking? I think so.
To put it yet another way, we are not delivered from the world unto God by perfect understanding, but rather by the grace of God through faith in Jesus, the Messiah, which is itself the gift of God.
As much as one might wish that were true, it isn't.
In my life I've learned from my parents, my siblings, my school teachers, authors of books, testimonies of others, my wife, and a lot more than I'd like from the school of hard knocks.
Honestly though, one of the hardest lessons I've learned is how unteachable I am! My hard heart resists the Holy Spirit far too often, there are some areas in my life where by now it would seem I should have progressed further than I have.
Here's the essential problem with the hubris implied by the initial statement: 'all that I've learned I've learned from the Holy Spirit', it oversimplifies reality to the point of error; for, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." It is the essential nature of 'having sin' that we are not so in-tune with the Holy Spirit that thats "all I learn".
And consider this: the problem that has beset folowers of Jesus Christ since the beginning is the purely human problem that we are all inveterate syncretists. Not to make this too complicated but from the time we first change our minds and put faith in Christ we only begin to UN-learn many wrong underlying assumptions about life and God. Yes, its true we've passed from death to life, yes, we are reborn of the spirit, yes, the eyes of our heart are opened and our spirit is made alive in Him, and THEN we BEGIN to extricate ourselves from the baggage of our false assumptions.
That to me seems to be a more accurate description of the reality of life than, 'all I have learned I have learned from the Holy Spirit'.
If you think you have not bit of syncretism in you, i.e., the mixing of your former assumptions about the world and about God with your current faith, you would be the first I have encountered.
Think about the two New Testament Simons: (Acts 8:13-24; Galatians 2:11-14)
Two Simons: Magus / Peter
Representing two Peoples: Non-Jew / Jew
From two pasts: roots in Magic / roots in Legalism
Having two revelations: Nature / Scripture
One failure: mixing the old with the new
One result: open rebuke
For me the two Simons stand in scripture as first-mentions, "types" if you will, of the two great besetting sins stumbling the followers of Christ since the first advent: legalism and magical thinking.
Doesn't the prophet assume the tendency to syncretism in us when he writes: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."?
Doesn't the lament, "My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?" also bear testimony to this?
One might be tempted toward a false dichotomy here and say, "The scriptures to which you refer are speaking of failures of the flesh and not the mixing of the true and the false," to which I would reply, please show me in scripture where one's beliefs are segregated from the actions by which they live their lives. Aren't the two inter-dependent? To put it another way, don't the failures of action and inaction in our lives reveal faults in our undelying thinking? I think so.
To put it yet another way, we are not delivered from the world unto God by perfect understanding, but rather by the grace of God through faith in Jesus, the Messiah, which is itself the gift of God.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
God is Triune
The Bible is not a book of systematic theology; there is plenty of theology in the Bible, its just not systematic. The following verses, all taken from the New Testament reveal a penchant on the part of New Testament writers to show the three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit working in concert together in God's work of redemption in the world. As such the verses do not explain the subject known in systematic theology as 'the doctrine of the trinity'; the verses do, however, show an essential agreement with the concept in two ways. Firstly, the verses show the three persons as distinct, secondly, the verses reveal the three working together as One in God's plan for man's salvation. The following list of Bible verses are not exhaustive, but these verses have been selected for their clarity and relevance.
The reader will do well to study the New Testament further concerning the identities of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Such a study should reveal seven propositional truths concerning God. These are:
1. There is one God.
2. The Father, He is God.
3. The Son, He is God.
4. The Holy Spirit, He is God.
5. The Son is sent by the Father.
6. The Holy Spirit is sent by both the Father and the Son.
7. The Father is sent by no one.
It is hoped the reader will find the following verses as uplifting and encouraging as I did in putting this list together. After all, if the triune God is for you, who can be against you?
Note: all quotes taken from the English Standard Version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew 12:18: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 12:35-36: And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'"
Luke 1:35: And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy-- the Son of God.
Luke 2:26-27: And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law.
Luke 3:21-22: Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Luke 10:21: In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Luke 12:9-10: but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
John 3:5: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
John 14:16-17: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 15:26: "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me."
John 20:21-22: Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Acts 2:32-33: This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
Acts 2:38-39: And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
Acts 4:30-31: "While you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 5:31-32: "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
Acts 7:55: But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 11:16-17: And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
Acts 20:21-23: Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
Romans 1:1-4: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:5-6: And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 8:9-11: You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 14:17-18: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Romans 15:16: To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:30: I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.
1 Corinthians 2:2-5: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 12:3-6: Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22: And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
2 Corinthians 3:3-4: And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.
2 Corinthians 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Galatians 4:6: And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
Ephesians 2:17-22: And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 3:14-19: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 4:4-6: There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 2:20-22: Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18-20: And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Titus 3:4-6: But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Hebrews 2:3-4: How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Hebrews 9:14: How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 10:29-31: How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1 Peter 1:2: According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.
1 Peter 4:14: If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
1 John 4:13-14: By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 John 5:6-9: This is he who came by water and blood-- Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.
Jude 1:20-21: But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Revelation 3:5-6: The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
Revelation 4:8: And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
Revelation 14:12-13: Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
Revelation 21:9-10: Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
Revelation 22:16-18: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book."
http://www.summascriptura.com/triune/
The reader will do well to study the New Testament further concerning the identities of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Such a study should reveal seven propositional truths concerning God. These are:
1. There is one God.
2. The Father, He is God.
3. The Son, He is God.
4. The Holy Spirit, He is God.
5. The Son is sent by the Father.
6. The Holy Spirit is sent by both the Father and the Son.
7. The Father is sent by no one.
It is hoped the reader will find the following verses as uplifting and encouraging as I did in putting this list together. After all, if the triune God is for you, who can be against you?
Note: all quotes taken from the English Standard Version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew 12:18: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 12:35-36: And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'"
Luke 1:35: And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy-- the Son of God.
Luke 2:26-27: And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law.
Luke 3:21-22: Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Luke 10:21: In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Luke 12:9-10: but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
John 3:5: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
John 14:16-17: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 15:26: "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me."
John 20:21-22: Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Acts 2:32-33: This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
Acts 2:38-39: And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
Acts 4:30-31: "While you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 5:31-32: "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
Acts 7:55: But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 11:16-17: And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
Acts 20:21-23: Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
Romans 1:1-4: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:5-6: And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 8:9-11: You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 14:17-18: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Romans 15:16: To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:30: I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.
1 Corinthians 2:2-5: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 12:3-6: Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22: And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
2 Corinthians 3:3-4: And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.
2 Corinthians 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Galatians 4:6: And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
Ephesians 2:17-22: And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 3:14-19: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 4:4-6: There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 2:20-22: Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18-20: And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Titus 3:4-6: But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Hebrews 2:3-4: How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Hebrews 9:14: How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 10:29-31: How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1 Peter 1:2: According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.
1 Peter 4:14: If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
1 John 4:13-14: By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 John 5:6-9: This is he who came by water and blood-- Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.
Jude 1:20-21: But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Revelation 3:5-6: The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
Revelation 4:8: And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
Revelation 14:12-13: Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
Revelation 21:9-10: Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
Revelation 22:16-18: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book."
http://www.summascriptura.com/triune/
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Awake!
The Baptist cries in the wilderness still, the progress of years not lessening the import of his words but accentuating the gravity of his cause. We too, from the remoteness of our isolation cry out to a generation, wake up! Arise from your mediocrity and dullness! The time is at hand. The enemy is at the gate, within our very walls. Now is the acceptable time to arise, oh sleeper, put on the full armor of God! Be sober, be vigilant, your enemy like a roaring lion seeks someone to devour.
The time has come to come to our senses. Oh foolish generation, who has bewitched you? We were fooled by our own senses. We believed the lie of our times that all frontiers were exploited, that all adventures had been enjoyed and had been unfolded. Then we froze into the mediocrity of our day to day. All the while our enemies' cool and unsympathetic minds regarded our lives with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.
The sword of our destruction has been sharpened. The axe has been laid to the root of the tree. Even now the harvest has begun. The scythe is prepared to swing. The wheat will be cut, along with the weeds.
Are we ready? Not yet. We have failed to divine the signs of our times. We had need of an interpreter to decipher the writing on the wall and no interpreter was found. Had we only had shepherds who cared for the sheep all would not be lost. Instead, we have had shepherds whose only concern was fleecing the sheep best, not caring for the flock.
Had we only had faithful teachers the first lesson would have been learned and followed, had we only cared enough we would have looked deeper to see the experience of suffering thy brethren endure throughout the world. Let not the cedars of the Lebanon have been cut in vain!
Arise! Shine! For you light has come! The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light! The masses are indifferent. They are scattered each to his own way, and without a vision, the people will go from bad to worse and perish. The time has come to come to our senses and strengthen that which remains.
The Baptist cries in the wilderness still, he who has ears to hear him let him hear him.
The time has come to come to our senses. Oh foolish generation, who has bewitched you? We were fooled by our own senses. We believed the lie of our times that all frontiers were exploited, that all adventures had been enjoyed and had been unfolded. Then we froze into the mediocrity of our day to day. All the while our enemies' cool and unsympathetic minds regarded our lives with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.
The sword of our destruction has been sharpened. The axe has been laid to the root of the tree. Even now the harvest has begun. The scythe is prepared to swing. The wheat will be cut, along with the weeds.
Are we ready? Not yet. We have failed to divine the signs of our times. We had need of an interpreter to decipher the writing on the wall and no interpreter was found. Had we only had shepherds who cared for the sheep all would not be lost. Instead, we have had shepherds whose only concern was fleecing the sheep best, not caring for the flock.
Had we only had faithful teachers the first lesson would have been learned and followed, had we only cared enough we would have looked deeper to see the experience of suffering thy brethren endure throughout the world. Let not the cedars of the Lebanon have been cut in vain!
Arise! Shine! For you light has come! The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light! The masses are indifferent. They are scattered each to his own way, and without a vision, the people will go from bad to worse and perish. The time has come to come to our senses and strengthen that which remains.
The Baptist cries in the wilderness still, he who has ears to hear him let him hear him.
Monday, October 23, 2006
I'm not prepared to go there...
Some time ago a movement sprung up called "Spiritual Mapping". In this belief system the idea is for Christians to properly wage war against the unseen powers of darkness they must ascertain the organizational structure of the kingdom of darkness for their region. In other words, for Christians in San Francisco to really wage spiritual warfare they need to understand what spirit(s) has authority over the demonic forces in San Francisco; once this is done they can then properly pray against those forces.
I'm not prepared to go there. I cannot abide by any philosophy that states I need to understand the devil before I can properly resist him. Honestly, I don't need to become an expert on the devil and his program for the world.
What I am prepared to do however, is to "sit - walk - stand". This is the pattern God outlined for the believer in the book of Ephesians. First, the believer needs to understand his position in Christ; the fact we are seated with Him in the heavenlies, needs to be thoroughly imbibed. Second, we need to walk with Christ; we need to personally put off the deeds of darkenss and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, we need to stand against the evil one; this is done by putting on the whole armor of God in order to resist the enemy's attacks. Those are 3 aspects of the Chrsitian life upon which every believer in Christ NEEDS TO BECOME EXPERT.
Jesus is my fortress and strength. It is He who has triumphed over them, not I. In Him is my trust. The sinning cherub, his angels, and any other creatures of which I may be ignorant have one place in relation to my life which Jesus exemplified when he said, "Get thee behind me..."
I'm not prepared to go there. I cannot abide by any philosophy that states I need to understand the devil before I can properly resist him. Honestly, I don't need to become an expert on the devil and his program for the world.
What I am prepared to do however, is to "sit - walk - stand". This is the pattern God outlined for the believer in the book of Ephesians. First, the believer needs to understand his position in Christ; the fact we are seated with Him in the heavenlies, needs to be thoroughly imbibed. Second, we need to walk with Christ; we need to personally put off the deeds of darkenss and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, we need to stand against the evil one; this is done by putting on the whole armor of God in order to resist the enemy's attacks. Those are 3 aspects of the Chrsitian life upon which every believer in Christ NEEDS TO BECOME EXPERT.
Jesus is my fortress and strength. It is He who has triumphed over them, not I. In Him is my trust. The sinning cherub, his angels, and any other creatures of which I may be ignorant have one place in relation to my life which Jesus exemplified when he said, "Get thee behind me..."
Friday, October 20, 2006
Ebionism & Gnosticism Redux
I find it fascinating that both Ebionism and Gnosticism, the two religious systems against which the church had its earliest and fiercest struggles, have made a comeback in these last days.
Ebionism with its appeal to super-spirituality based upon observance of the law, and gnosticism with its appeal to its own brand of super-spirituality based upon secret knowledge competed with the church in the early days.
They both claim to have "Jesus plus" something. 'Jesus is good but you aren't truly with it unless you have Jesus plus this...'
They're back. Like some new cure-resistant strains of spritual bacteria they're spreading. Oh yes, they now have been revamped and have a few new twists, but they're the same old germs. They've both returned to life apparently, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Ebionism with its appeal to super-spirituality based upon observance of the law, and gnosticism with its appeal to its own brand of super-spirituality based upon secret knowledge competed with the church in the early days.
They both claim to have "Jesus plus" something. 'Jesus is good but you aren't truly with it unless you have Jesus plus this...'
They're back. Like some new cure-resistant strains of spritual bacteria they're spreading. Oh yes, they now have been revamped and have a few new twists, but they're the same old germs. They've both returned to life apparently, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
How to View the One Year Bible online:
Click on this link:
http://www.summascriptura.com/oyb/
Select the Bible version you prefer by clicking on it. Scroll down within the frame to today's date. Click on the scripture you wish to read, it will pop up in a new window. After reading the scripture, close the pop up window. Click on another scripture and proceed.
These are the same daily readings you will find in the One Year Bible published by Tyndale. It took me a long time to create this online version, I hope you like it!
http://www.summascriptura.com/oyb/
Select the Bible version you prefer by clicking on it. Scroll down within the frame to today's date. Click on the scripture you wish to read, it will pop up in a new window. After reading the scripture, close the pop up window. Click on another scripture and proceed.
These are the same daily readings you will find in the One Year Bible published by Tyndale. It took me a long time to create this online version, I hope you like it!
A Hole in the Storm Clouds (Psalm 116)
1 "I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications.
2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
3 "The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;I found distress and sorrow.
4 "Then I called upon the name of the LORD: 'O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!'"
5 "Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 "The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 "Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 "For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling.
9 "I shall walk before the LORD In the land of the living.
10 "I believed when I said, 'I am greatly afflicted.'"
11 "I said in my alarm, 'All men are liars.'"
12 "What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?
13 "I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the LORD.
14 "I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people."
One of the things that has attracted me to the Bible over the years is its inherent realism in things connected to human nature. Have you ever come to a place in life where your pessimism about the people in your life has led you to conclude like this Psalmist, "all men are liars"? Or perhaps you just felt betrayed by friends, or alone, or simply that you had no one you could trust. Many of us have passed through periods in our lives where we have become extremely cynical about the love of others.
The writer of this Psalm freely confesses he's been there and done that; he comes out with the full story holding nothing back. This kind of self-revealing honesty attracts many of us to the Scriptures. The Psalmist could have written it another way. He could have said, "I never doubted God would come through for me! I was unmoved by my troubles and continued to love and forgive those around me" But who would be the liar then?
The great thing about this passage is the hope it communicates to us that depite how bad things can get in life, the possibility remains we will recover and conclude like the Psalmist that on balance, "the LORD has dealt bountifully with you". Maybe you're not there now, but the good news is, the possibility exists you will be there someday.
2 "Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
3 "The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;I found distress and sorrow.
4 "Then I called upon the name of the LORD: 'O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!'"
5 "Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 "The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 "Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 "For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling.
9 "I shall walk before the LORD In the land of the living.
10 "I believed when I said, 'I am greatly afflicted.'"
11 "I said in my alarm, 'All men are liars.'"
12 "What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?
13 "I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the LORD.
14 "I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people."
One of the things that has attracted me to the Bible over the years is its inherent realism in things connected to human nature. Have you ever come to a place in life where your pessimism about the people in your life has led you to conclude like this Psalmist, "all men are liars"? Or perhaps you just felt betrayed by friends, or alone, or simply that you had no one you could trust. Many of us have passed through periods in our lives where we have become extremely cynical about the love of others.
The writer of this Psalm freely confesses he's been there and done that; he comes out with the full story holding nothing back. This kind of self-revealing honesty attracts many of us to the Scriptures. The Psalmist could have written it another way. He could have said, "I never doubted God would come through for me! I was unmoved by my troubles and continued to love and forgive those around me" But who would be the liar then?
The great thing about this passage is the hope it communicates to us that depite how bad things can get in life, the possibility remains we will recover and conclude like the Psalmist that on balance, "the LORD has dealt bountifully with you". Maybe you're not there now, but the good news is, the possibility exists you will be there someday.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
The Pax Americana: How long?
Have you ever considered how much of the Bible concerns itself with war and its consequences? Just take a cursory read through the Prophets. What percent of the Bible's total message deals with "negative" subject matter such as war and God's judgment I don't know, but it seems like a lot to me. And yet we modern Christians seem shy away from the full cousel of God and seek out only those passages which make us feel good, or happy, or optimistic. I am convinced, however, that those 'negative' passages of the Bible are also there for our edification.
Take for example today's passage from Ezekiel 31-32:32. In part it reads,
"3 'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And very high, And its top was among the clouds.
4 'The waters made it grow, the deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5 'Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of many waters as it spread them out.
6 'All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.
7 'So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its roots extended to many waters.
9 'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God,
were jealous of it.
10'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness,
11 therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it According to its wickedness I have driven it away.
12 "Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it.
13 "On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches
14 "so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit."
In this passage, God speaking through the prophet uses the history of the nation of Assyria as an instructional example. The Assyrian empire is compared to a lush and healthy Cedar tree. Assyria's dominance of the other nations is pointed out by the phrase, "its height was loftier than all the trees of the field". The domination of the region's nations by Assyria is not viewed as wholly bad; it says,"all great nations lived under its shade". Those nations, however, "were jealous of it".
The reason the Assyrian empire comes to an end, per the prophet, is explained in the next few verses. Despite the fact Assyria's greateness was because, "The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place", ie: their prosperity was not due to what they had done but rather because of God's blessing and provision. Nevertheless, Assyria did not honor God as the source of their success but rather, "its heart is haughty in its loftiness". Because of this, God says, "therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it, according to its wickedness I have driven it away. Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it..."
Is there something we take from this passage to help us today? Could America ever come to the state where God would say of it, "therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it according to its wickedness I have driven it away. Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it..."?
It seems to me if our answer is 'that could never happen here', due to our geographical isolation or military superiority, we are making the same mistake Assyria made so long ago... Namely, our greatness is due to us, not due to God's grace. Rather, we should thank the creator for our national blessings and pray that he not withdraw them from us. If we as a nation can turn to our creator and not be deceived that our own abilities to do great things are inherent to us, perhaps God will be gracious and give us peace in our land.
Bob Burns
San Francisco
Take for example today's passage from Ezekiel 31-32:32. In part it reads,
"3 'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And very high, And its top was among the clouds.
4 'The waters made it grow, the deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5 'Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of many waters as it spread them out.
6 'All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.
7 'So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its roots extended to many waters.
9 'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God,
were jealous of it.
10'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness,
11 therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it According to its wickedness I have driven it away.
12 "Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it.
13 "On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches
14 "so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit."
In this passage, God speaking through the prophet uses the history of the nation of Assyria as an instructional example. The Assyrian empire is compared to a lush and healthy Cedar tree. Assyria's dominance of the other nations is pointed out by the phrase, "its height was loftier than all the trees of the field". The domination of the region's nations by Assyria is not viewed as wholly bad; it says,"all great nations lived under its shade". Those nations, however, "were jealous of it".
The reason the Assyrian empire comes to an end, per the prophet, is explained in the next few verses. Despite the fact Assyria's greateness was because, "The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place", ie: their prosperity was not due to what they had done but rather because of God's blessing and provision. Nevertheless, Assyria did not honor God as the source of their success but rather, "its heart is haughty in its loftiness". Because of this, God says, "therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it, according to its wickedness I have driven it away. Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it..."
Is there something we take from this passage to help us today? Could America ever come to the state where God would say of it, "therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it according to its wickedness I have driven it away. Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it..."?
It seems to me if our answer is 'that could never happen here', due to our geographical isolation or military superiority, we are making the same mistake Assyria made so long ago... Namely, our greatness is due to us, not due to God's grace. Rather, we should thank the creator for our national blessings and pray that he not withdraw them from us. If we as a nation can turn to our creator and not be deceived that our own abilities to do great things are inherent to us, perhaps God will be gracious and give us peace in our land.
Bob Burns
San Francisco
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