From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jan 1 05:32:19 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 06:32:19 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) PERVERTING FAITH'S MEANING (1) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the first part of a study on this particular subject. Taken from my ancient files. Use to the glory of God. PERVERTING FAITH'S MEANING (1) "Pisteuo" is the Greek verb which means "I believe". The noun corresponding to the verb is "pistis" which is translated "faith or belief." The New Testament clearly teaches that sal- vation is by faith (Rom. 5:1; Gal. 3:24; Heb. 11:6); sinners seeking salvation were told to believe (Acts 10:43; 16:31); but denominational preachers are guilty of perverting these and similar passages in an effort to make them mean what they want them to mean. What does it mean to believe on the Lord? What is included in the words "pistis" and "pisteuo"? Faith And Obedience: -- No doubt you have heard denominat- ional preachers over the radio say to sinners, "Just kneel down by your radio and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will save you right then and there." They preach such doc- trine because the Bible doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins is so repulsive to them. All of their efforts are bent to make salvation by faith and baptism for remission of sins con-trary to each other. I have heard them say, "You can take your choice; it is either trust in Jesus or trust in baptism. It is either salvation by faith or salvation by baptism." Such a position on the part of denominational preachers is one of two things: it is either ignorance of God's Word or dishonesty because there is absolutely no incompatibility between saving faith and obedience to baptism for remission of sins. The word "obey" and especially the term "obey the gospel" are despised in denominational circles. The reason is simple: to obey the gospel includes baptism for the remiss- ion of sins, and they will have none of it. The maintain that to believe on the Lord is to trust in the Lord, but that is as far as they will go; saving faith cannot include any act of obedience. In a discussion with W.T. Russell, a Baptist preacher of Good- lettsville, Tennessee, I asked this question: In Rom. 6:18 does the "then" refer to the time one trusts in the Lord or the time one obeys? Obedience to the gospel was so utterly loathso- me to him that he replied, "When he trusts." The passage plainly reads, "But God be thanked, that ye were servants of sin, but ye have OBEYED from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being THEN made free form sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Ye have obeyed -- being THEN made free from sin. It does not take a Solomon to see that the THEN refers to the time of obedience and not to the time of trust; the word "trust" is not even there. When were they made free from sin? When they had obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine. Saving faith includes obedien- ce to the gospel. How do you know? (1) Justification comes through faith (Rom. 5:1); (2) Freedom from sin comes throu- gh obedience (Rom. 6:18). The sinner's justification comes when he is made free from sin; therefore, the faith that justi- fies includes the obedience to the gospel by which the sinner is freed from sin. To believe in the fullest sense, in the saving sense, is to obey the gospel, and to obey the gospel means more than merely trusting in the Lord. To obey the gospel includes being baptized for the remission of sins. Faith And Submission: -- Another question asked in the discussion mentioned was, "Does the "faith" of the proposi ion you are affirming means submission to the Will of God?" The proposition he was affirming read like this: "The Script- tures teach that repenting sinners receive remission of sins through faith before water baptism." I wanted to know if the faith of his proposition meant submission to God's Will, and he replied "Yes." With that affirmation, he admitted that to believe on the Lord means to obey and that faith includes obedience. The same Greek word (hupotasso) is translated "submit, subject, obey." They all mean the same thing. For example, in 1 Cor. 14:34 the KJV translation says, "they are commanded to be under obedience," while the ARV reads, "let they be in subjection." In Titus 2:15 the KJV translates the word "hupotasso" obedient, while the ARV renders it in subjection. Therefore, to be in subjection or under submiss- ion simply means to be obedient. He admitted that the faith which saves is the faith that means submission to God's Will, and when he admitted that, he was saying that the faith which saves is the faith that means obedience to God's Will. Thus, according to his own admission, this Baptist preacher said the faith that saves is the faith that obeys. Of necessity, then, obedience to the gospel is not incompatible with saving faith, but saving faith implies and includes obedience to the Lord's command that He gave in the great commission when He said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," and as Peter gave the same command to the people on Pente- cost, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2: 38). Friend, your faith did not save you if it was not this kind of obedient faith! (More will be posted on this subject tomor- row, the Lord willing, JWS). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080101/b08ac088/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Tue Jan 1 05:32:08 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 06:32:08 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Tuesday morning (New Year's Day) to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours with (A Very Prosperous, Happy, And Safe New Year). Here is an article from my files: SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE One of the bigger contributors to the confusion, dissatis- factuib, distraction and weariness of our lives is that they are too complicated. Our lives are filled with too much clutter. We are living in a hall of mirrors so that we cannot disinguish between reflections and reality. We are constantly running into walls and in circles without making any progress. Let me make a couple of suggestions. First, Set Priorities: -- List what must be done in your life. There are many things I want to do that I have left undone for many years. I still haven't finished that children's book I start- ed twenty years ago. I keep meaning to get with my friend Steve to work on our music. There are projects galore around my house that need some attention. But my days are focused on accomplishing one thing. Paul said it is the, "the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13,14). Jesus told Martha that only one thing was necessary. Think about that. There is only ONE necessary thing. If you leave that out nothing will ever be right. Second, Set Goals: -- Paul said, "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air" (1 Cor. 9:26). How do you "aim" to accomplish your priority in life? Are there "unnecessary" things that are stand- ing in your way? The Hebrew writer says, "Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entang- les us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1) Is your life tangled up and tied down so that you feel that you are getting nowhere with God? Per- haps it would help to sit down and make a list of your obligat- ions. What are your "goals" this week, this month, this NEW year? Can you accomplish those goals without altering your priorities? Are some "goals" clutter? Understand, not every moment in life has to be moment- ous. We need times of rest and laughter. But act according to plan and with purpose. You'r not building a house just be- cause you are blindly swinging a hammer! You're more likely to put holes in the wall than to accomplish anything worth- while. --------- Mark Mosely via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 48, Dec. 2, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080101/918402f5/attachment-0001.html From GLClair at aol.com Tue Jan 1 10:04:09 2008 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 11:04:09 EST Subject: [Biblemat] Thinking of you! Message-ID: HAPPY NEW YEAR The power of God protects us. The presence of God watches over us. Wherever we are God is and all is well.' >From our home to yours Have a great and prosperous year 2008 Garreth and Barbara Clair **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080101/ff9ef1eb/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jan 2 03:01:10 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 04:01:10 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) A HARDENED HEART Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Wednesday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my ancient files: A HARDENED HEART In teaching concerning the various conditions of the spirit- ual heart, when the Lord desired to speak of the hardened heart, He used the illustration of the wayside soil. How accur- ate is the picture of the mind that has no faith and cannot re- ceive the truth of God. The ground that lies along the beaten path, trodden time and time again by the constant plodding of travelers, is in such condition that sown seed lies on the top of the ground only to be stepped upon and eaten by the birds. Jesus identi- fied this kind of heart in the twelth verse of Luke eight as he who hears the Word but then has it taken from him by the Devil. The problem in the heart allowing it to be stolen away is the absence of faith. Faith takes hold of the Word and will not leave it subject to such action, but the faithless heart treats the truth in the same way as the wayside grounds treat the sown seed -- as bird food. The character who possibly exemplifies the hardened heart better than any other is the Pharaoh of Exodus during the time of the plagues (Exo. 5:12). Time and again he demon- strated his stubborn and hardened heart by the answers which he gave to Moses and Aaron and by the statements which he made concerning Jehovah. On repeated occasions his sole reaction to the plagues was to harden his heart still further. His own hardness finally led the Lord to help him along hs desired course of action, for He then hardened the king's heart through additional plagues. How is it that these miraculous wonders could convince some of the Egyptians but leave the other kind untouched and uncon-vinced? Why did some seem willing for Israel to go to worship after a few plagues (10:7), but their ruler was still unwilling? Was it not his hardened heart? The very same plagues that softened some served to harden Pharaoh. Just as the same sun which softens the wax also hardens the clay, so the some Divine influences serve to harden or to soft- en the hearts of men, according to the kind of heart possess- ed by the individual. In view of this possibility, Jesus warned those who hear the truth, "Take heed therefore how ye hear" (Lk. 8:18). ------ Bobby L. Graham in Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 10, Nov. 1995. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080102/c818eadc/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Wed Jan 2 03:01:19 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 04:01:19 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) PERVERTING FAITH'S MEANING (2) Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is the second part of this particular study. Use to the glory of God. PERVERTING FAITH'S MEANING (2) Three Essentials Of Faith: -- Thayer's Lexicon gives a most in- teresting definition of this Greek word pisteuo. If there is a human authority to which appeal can be made to determine the meaning of a Greek word found in the New Testament, Thayer's Lexicon is generally regarded as the authority. On page 511, under the word pisteuo, here is what Thayer says: "Used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i.e. a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah -- the divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ." That definition of the Greek word pisteuo forever destroys the denominational conception of believing on the Lord and completely vindicates the position of gospel preachers who maintain according to the Scriptures that the faith which saves is the faith which obeys. Thayer says that saving faith is composed of three elements; (1) conviction, (2) trust and (3) obedience. If that be true, and it is, one has not really and completely believed on the Lord until after he has obeyed. Obedience is as much a part of saving faith as conviction and trust. I wish that every denominational preacher who emphas- izes trust but ridicules obedience would read that definition of real saving faith and be impressed with what it means to believe on the Lord. When they preach conviction and trust, they are preaching only two-thirds of saving faith. What is that faith by which a man embraces Jesus? It is conviction plus trust plus obedience. And yet denominational preachers will stand up and tell a lost and dying world. "Just trust the Lord to save you, just give your life to Christ, just believe on Him and that's all. There is nothing else to do, no commands to obey." Why don't they tell sinners the truth about what it means to believe in Christ? Why don't they preach that sav- ing faith is conviction and trust and obedience to the Lord's commands? We see the connection between faith and obed- ience in Gal. 3:26,27: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been bapt- ized into Christ have put on Christ." That is saving faith be- cause it is obedient faith! This illustration might clarify the matter. A man about to die of pneumonia once was cured by faith. He was not cured like the thousands are supposedly cured by Oral Roberts, but he was cured by faith. How? First, he called the doctor in whom he had the greatest confidence. His faith in the doctor has convinced him of the doctor's ability. To be convicted simply means to be convinced, so there is the first element of faith -- conviction. The doctor came, his condition was diag- nosed and a prescription of medicine was given. The doctor said, "If you take this medicine as directed, there is hope you will live." The man believed the doctor, he trusted the prescri- ption, he obeyed the doctor's orders, he took the medicine as directed, and he was cured. I maintain the cure was by faith! Why? Because the three essential elements of faith were there. Conviction -- he was convinced of the doctor's ability; Trust -- he trusted in the doctor's prescription; Obedience -- he was willing to take the medicine as prescribed. What if the man had said, "I am firmly convinced of the doctor's ability, and I believe most confidently that the medicine will cure me," and then he plaed the bottle of medicine under the bed and refused to take it. Not much faith, you say! Why? Not much obedience! Would he have been cured? Of course not. Everyone can see that. Now look at this. Here is the sinn- er. He wants to be saved. He want to be saved by faith. He calls for the Great Physician. He knows that Jesus Christ is his only hope for salvation. He is firmly convicted within his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world, and he is convinced that He has the power and ability to save because he can read the Words of Jesus, "All author- ity hath been given unto me." Christ comes, the man's sinful condition diagnosed and a prescription is given. That prescri- ption for the cure of sin is found in the Words of Jesus, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." There is the salvation the man wants, there is the cure for the malady of sin. The sinner says, "I believe the promise of Jesus is true, and I am willing to trust it." The sinner is baptized as the Great Physician commanded, and in obeying the Lord's command he trusts the Savior to save him from sin. That is salvation y faith! Why? All three essential elements of saving faith are there. The sinner is convicted or convinced of Christ's power as the Son of God; he is willing to trust the promises that Christ has given; he is willing to obey the com- mands. The sinner might shout from now till he dies that he believes Christ to be the Son of God; he might say he trusts the Lord with all of his heart, but unless he is willing to obey the Lord's command to be baptized for the remission of sins, he has not believed on the Lord, because saving faith means conviction, trust and obedience. With the intellect man is convicted. With the emotions he trusts. With the will he obeys. When one believes with all his heart, we see again the conviction, trust and obedience. The gospel is made up of facts, promises and commands. The sinner is convicted by the facts, he trusts the promises and he obeys the commands. Again we see the three essent- ial elements of saving faith. This is what it means to believe on the Lord! ------ Eugene W. Clevenger in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 4, Feb. 1952. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080102/c426371f/attachment-0001.html From GLClair at aol.com Wed Jan 2 09:01:36 2008 From: GLClair at aol.com (GLClair at aol.com) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 10:01:36 EST Subject: [Biblemat] ARTICLE - "More Time" A New Year Message-ID: ?MORE TIME? - A NEW YEAR Every January 1 in our world we begin another calendar year. Each calendar year is identified as 12 month, 365 days, and 52 weeks. Whenever we put this all together we get one year but this is not all there is to identifying a year. There are also 9,360 hours in each year and 561,600 seconds in each year. Each year is a very remarkable and substantial amount of time to think and do almost anything that a person wants to do, BUT: Each individual on earth requires a man and a woman [i.e. male and female sperm] to become a person. Add to this that it takes approximately 9 months for a child to reach an age where they naturally are born or in the case of artificial generation a similar amount of time is required. Indeed, after a child is born it requires about 9-12 years of living for them to become conscious of the events of life that occur and reach a mental capacity to choose between two concept, ideals, propositions, or choices. This is an important time for a person in their life development, The wise man, Solomon states it in the Bible; Ecclesiastes 12:1, ?Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them;? ASV This time in the development of a responsible human, is the beginning of either wisdom or foolishness as the same writer discusses in some detail in; Ecclesiastes11:8-12:1, ?8 Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.? --- Ecclesiastes 12:1, ?1 Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them;? ASV The great problem for mankind comes upon him after he has reached accountable age in the scheme of life. Man is responsible to God whenever he reached an accountable age [i.e. probably 9-12 years of age] if by reason of normalcy he/she is not deprived because of gene-defect or some other birth happening]. The individual thus endowed with normal mental powers is responsible to God for his actions [i.e. his/her obedience or rejection] of God?s instructions [i.e. law ? Hebrews 5:8-9]. Please observe the following Bible references that verify these facts; Romans 2:4-11, ?4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 who will render to every man according to his works: 7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: 8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, (shall be) wrath and indignation, 9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: 11 for there is no respect of persons with God.? ASV Romans 6:12-16, ?12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: 13 neither present your members unto sin (as) instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members (as) instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves (as) servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?? ASV So; now at this point in life you can see that each year that a person neglects to come to God through Jesus Christ [i.e. believe and obey HIS Instructions - Hebrews 5:8-9 -] that person is wasting a whole lot of precious time that he/she may dedicate to serving Almighty God. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH ALL THAT TIME? Re-read the first two paragraphs in this short dissertation! _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com) _glclair at sbcglobal.net_ (mailto:glclair at sbcglobal.net) January 2, 2008 **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080102/070d12ba/attachment-0001.html From disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Wed Jan 2 15:53:24 2008 From: disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com (Ethan R. Longhenry) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 16:53:24 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] S:> Kindness and Mercy Message-ID: http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/outlines/index.html Kindness and Mercy I. Introduction A. Hypothetical scenario 1. Imagine you are driving on a major road, have difficulties 2. You are stranded on the side of the road, no phone, no means of assistance 3. What do you think? What do you do? 4. Lots of cars and people similar to you drive on by 5. Of all people, a biker in full biker regalia stops near you 6. Now what do you think? 7. In the end, he helps get assistance for you and helps you get on your way 8. How do you react? B. Let's reverse the scenario 1. You are the one driving down the road 2. You see someone stranded on the side of the road, possibly needing assistance 3. What do you do? What do you think? C. This type of scenario described in parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37 1. Response to a lawyer attempting to justify himself 2. Recognition of value of acting with kindness / mercy (Galatians 5:22-23) D. Let us spend some time considering kindness II. Kindness and Mercy A. The actions of the Good Samaritan were considered an act of mercy (Luke 10:37) B. Mercy and kindness involve similar concepts 1. Both indicate actions of goodwill or benevolence shown to others 2. Mercy often carries the idea of the unworthiness of the one receiving the benefit C. Christians are to be people marked both by kindness and mercy 1. Galatians 5:22, Luke 6:36 D. Why are we to be thus? III. Kindness and Mercy: Manifestations of Love A. Kindness/mercy is to be demonstrated principally on account of being the way that love is manifested toward others B. After all, how is love toward others expressed? C. Hence, the lesson of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) 1. The story is told on account of the question of who is the "neighbor" who should be loved as oneself in Luke 10:27 2. The Good Samaritan proves himself to be the "neighbor" of the injured man, and not the priest or the Levite, his own kin 3. Thus, it can be said that the Good Samaritan loved the man as himself, and we know this because he showed the man kindness and mercy D. Therefore, if we say that we love our fellow man, but do not involve ourselves in acts of kindness and mercy, we deceive ourselves and are liars! 1. 1 John 3:16-18 2. Our love must not merely be "in word or talk", but also "in deed and truth" E. Love, after all, is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4) 1. Love, therefore, acts accordingly! 2. We demonstrate our love for each other and for those without when we engage in kind and merciful acts! IV. Kindness and Mercy: Displayed Toward Us A. We also ought to be kind and merciful because God has been kind and merciful toward us 1. Romans 2:4, 11:22 2. Ephesians 2:4, 7 3. Titus 3:4-5 B. God is willing to continue to show us kindness and mercy as long as we do the same! 1. Romans 11:22 2. Matthew 5:7, 18:33 3. James 2:13 C. We ought not presume upon God's kindness and mercy, but should ourselves show kindness and mercy to others! D. We should also not be complacent, only showing kindness and mercy to those who show us kindness! 1. After all, mercy indicates, in many ways, unworthiness of the person receiving mercy 2. Were we worthy to receive God's kindness and mercy as manifested in the sacrifice of the Son (Romans 5:6-11)? 3. Luke 6:27-36: Jesus provides this challenge to us 4. Even sinners will be kind to those who are kind to them, and show mercy to those who are merciful to them! 5. Nevertheless, we are called to be kind to the unkind and to show mercy to the unmerciful! E. It is important, therefore, for us to show kindness and mercy with all men, even if they are "unworthy", since we have been unworthy of what we have received V. How to Show Kindness and Mercy? A. You may think, "Great! I need to be kind and merciful. How?" B. We can show kindness and mercy in many ways! C. Primary need: a heart of love and a desire to show your love for other people through kind and merciful actions (1 John 3:16-18, 4:7-21) D. Mercy and kindness can be shown in little ways 1. Providing a helping hand for people in stores or other places 2. Being there for someone in a time of need, even just to sit or listen 3. Willingness to pray for/with others 4. Seeing if people in difficult circumstances could use some help 5. You can think of many others E. We can also show mercy and kindness in greater ways 1. We can volunteer our time and resources to help people in need 2. We can be willing to assist people financially or with other resources without any expectation of recompense 3. We can invest in people with our time and energy F. Such, in reality, is the way that we put Matthew 5:13-16 to practice in our lives! 1. In kind and merciful deeds we show how God has loved us by loving others 2. That is something that others can see 3. Many desire to share in that 4. What you do and how you help will get you further than words alone! VI. Conclusion A. We live in an increasingly unkind and merciless age 1. More and more people are becoming more and more isolated in their own lives 2. Ideas of interconnected and interdependent communities are forgotten 3. We all have the idea, thanks to our culture, that we are only successful if we are able to achieve our goals ourselves without assistance-- "picking ourselves up by our bootstraps" 4. It is easier to not get involved with the lives and difficulties of others, and there are always enough things to do to keep us busy in our own lives! 5. Unintentionally, many have just become so self-focused as to no longer exhibit a lot of concern for others! B. Nevertheless, people cry out for kindness and mercy 1. Humans were never meant to be islands! 2. God desires that all people should love their neighbors as themselves 3. Therefore, it is imperative that His people show mercy and kindness to their fellow man! C. Kindness and mercy, therefore, are not optional parts of the faith: they are critical as manifestations of the love that we must have for all men! D. Let us remember 2 Peter 1:10: we once were a people without mercy, but God has been merciful and kind to us-- let us show that mercy and kindness to others! E. Let us find opportunities in our lives to show kindness and mercy to all men, especially those in the household of the faith F. Invitation/songbook Ethan R. Longhenry/ disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio (http://www.norwalkchurch.org) Website: http://www.deusvitae.com AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ#: 28317056 MSN Messenger ID: deusvitae at hotmail.com Yahoo! Messenger ID: discipuliiesus Subscribe to Good News for Norwalk! goodnewsfornorwalk-subscribe at norwalkchurch.org From robertwater at gmail.com Wed Jan 2 16:04:59 2008 From: robertwater at gmail.com (Robert Waters) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 16:04:59 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Marriage - article written by a Jew Message-ID: Greetings to all, The article below my signature, written by a Jew, is interesting reading that addresses a number of things, some of which are controversial among Christians: 1) How a wife is picked 2) How one become a wife ? defining marriage 3) The engagement, Betrothal and marriage 4) Marriage ceremony 5) The Marital Relationship 6) Prohibited marriages. Brotherly, Robert Waters Marriage *Level: Basic http://www.jewfaq.org/marriage.htm* The Torah provides very little guidance with regard to the procedures of a marriage. The method of finding a spouse, the form of the wedding ceremony, and the nature of the marital relationship are all explained in the Talmud. Bashert: Soul Mates According to the Talmud , Rav Yehuda taught that 40 days before a male child is conceived, a voice from heaven announces whose daughter he is going to marry, literally a match made in heaven! In Yiddish , this perfect match is called "bashert," a word meaning fate or destiny. The word "bashert" can be used to refer to any kind of fortuitous good match, such as finding the perfect job or the perfect house, but it is usually used to refer to one's soul mate. There are a number of statements in the Talmud that would seem to contradict the idea of bashert, most notably the many bits of advice on choosing a wife. Nevertheless, the idea has a strong hold within the Jewish community: look at any listing of Jewish personal ads and you're bound to find someone "Looking for my bashert." Finding your bashert doesn't mean that your marriage will be trouble-free. Marriage, like everything worthwhile in life, requires dedication, effort and energy. Even when two people are meant for each other, it is possible for them to ruin their marriage. That is why Judaism allows divorce. Although the first marriage is bashert, it is still possible to have a good and happy marriage with a second spouse. The Talmud teaches that G-dalso arranges second marriages, and a man's second wife is chosen according to his merits. How do you know if you have found your bashert? Should you hold off on marrying someone for fear that the person you want to marry might not be your bashert, and there might be a better match out there waiting for you? The traditional view is that you cannot know who your bashert is, but once you get married, the person you married is by definition your bashert, so you should not let concerns about finding your bashert discourage you from marrying someone. And while we're on the subject of G-d arranging marriages, I should share this delightful midrash : it is said that a Roman woman asked a rabbi , if your G-d created the universe in six days, then what has he been doing with his time since then? The rabbi said that G-d has been arranging marriages. The Roman woman scoffed at this, saying that arranging marriages was a simple task, but the rabbi assured her that arranging marriages properly is as difficult as parting the Red Sea. To prove the rabbi wrong, the Roman woman went home and took a thousand male slaves and a thousand female slaves and matched them up in marriages. The next day, the slaves appeared before her, one with a cracked skull, another with a broken leg, another with his eye gouged out, all asking to be released from their marriages. The woman went back to the rabbi and said, "There is no god like your G-d, and your Torah is true." Acquiring a Spouse Mishnah Kiddushin 1:1 specifies that a woman is acquired (i.e., to be a wife) in three ways: through money, a contract, and sexual intercourse. Ordinarily, all three of these conditions are satisfied, although only one is necessary to effect a binding marriage. Acquisition by money is normally satisfied by the wedding ring. It is important to note that although money is one way of "acquiring" a wife, the woman is not being bought and sold like a piece of property or a slave. This is obvious from the fact that the amount of money involved is nominal (according to the Mishnah , a perutah, a copper coin of the lowest denomination, was sufficient). In addition, if the woman were being purchased like a piece of property, it would be possible for the husband to resell her, and clearly it is not. Rather, the wife's acceptance of the money is a symbolic way of demonstrating her acceptance of the husband, just like acceptance of the contract or the sexual intercourse. To satisfy the requirements of acquisition by money, the ring must belong to the groom. It cannot be borrowed, although it can be a gift from a relative. It must be given to the wife irrevocably. In addition, the ring's value must be known to the wife, so that there can be no claim that the husband deceived her into marrying by misleading her as to its value. In all cases, the Talmud specifies that a woman can be acquired only with her consent, and not without it. Kiddushin 2a-b. As part of the wedding ceremony, the husband gives the wife a ketubah. The word "Ketubah" comes from the root Kaf-Tav-Beit, meaning "writing." The ketubah is also called the marriage contract. The ketubah spells out the husband's obligations to the wife during marriage, conditions of inheritance upon his death, and obligations regarding the support of children of the marriage. It also provides for the wife's support in the event of divorce. (Judaism has always accepted divorce as a fact of life, albeit an unfortunate one, and permits divorce for any reason, but discourages divorce.) There are standard conditions; however, additional conditions can be included by mutual agreement. Marriage agreements of this sort were commonplace in the ancient Semitic world. The ketubah has much in common with prenuptial agreements, which are gaining popularity in the United States. In the U.S., such agreements were historically disfavored, because it was believed that planning for divorce would encourage divorce, and that people who considered the possibility of divorce shouldn't be marrying. Although one rabbiin the Talmud expresses a similar opinion, the majority maintained that a ketubah discouraged divorce, by serving as a constant reminder of the husband's substantial financial obligations if he divorced his wife. The ketubah is often a beautiful work of calligraphy, framed and displayed in the home. The Process of Marriage: Kiddushin and Nisuin The process of marriage occurs in two distinct stages: kiddushin (commonly translated as betrothal) and nisuin (full-fledged marriage). Kiddushin occurs when the woman accepts the money, contract or sexual relations offered by the prospective husband. The word "kiddushin" comes from the rootQof-Dalet-Shin, meaning "sanctified." It reflects the sanctity of the marital relation. However, the root word also connotes something that is set aside for a specific (sacred) purpose, and the ritual of kiddushin sets aside the woman to be the wife of a particular man and no other. Kiddushin is far more binding than an engagement as we understand the term in modern English; in fact, Rambam speaks of a period of engagement *before*the kiddushin. Once kiddushin is complete, the woman is legally the wife of the man. The relationship created by kiddushin can only be dissolved by death or divorce. However, the spouses do not live together at the time of the kiddushin, and the mutual obligations created by the marital relationship do not take effect until the nisuin is complete. The nisuin (from a word meaning "elevation") completes the process of marriage. The husband brings the wife into his home and they begin their married life together. In the past, the kiddushin and nisuin would routinely occur as much as a year apart. During that time, the husband would prepare a home for the new family. There was always a risk that during this long period of separation, the woman would discover that she wanted to marry another man, or the man would disappear, leaving the woman in the awkward state of being married but without a husband. Today, the two ceremonies are normally performed together. Because marriage under Jewish law is essentially a private contractual agreement between a man and a woman, it does not require the presence of a rabbi or any other religious official. It is common, however, for rabbis to officiate, partly in imitation of the Christian practice and partly because the presence of a religious or civil official is required under United States civil law. As you can see, it is very easy to make a marriage, so the rabbis instituted severe punishments (usually flogging and compelled divorce) where marriage was undertaken without proper planning and solemnity. A Typical Wedding Ceremony It is customary for the bride and groom not to see each other for a week preceding the wedding. On the Shabbatof that week, it is customary among Ashkenazic Jews for the groom to have an aliyah (the honor of reciting a blessing over the Torah reading ). This aliyah is known as an ufruf. There are exuberant celebrations in the synagogue at this time. Throwing candy at the bride and groom to symbolize the sweetness of the event is common (Soft candy, of course! Usually Sunkist Fruit Gems, which are kosher). Traditionally, the day before the wedding, both the bride and the groom fast. Before the ceremony, the bride is veiled, in remembrance of the fact that Rebecca veiled her face when she was first brought to Isaacto be his wife. The ceremony itself lasts 20-30 minutes, and consists of the kiddushin and the nisuin. For the kiddushin, the bride approaches and circles the groom. Two blessings are recited over wine: one the standard blessing over wine and the other regarding the commandments related to marriage. The man then places the ring on woman's finger and says "Be sanctified (mekudeshet) to me with this ring in accordance with the law of Mosesand Israel ." After the kiddushin is complete, the ketubah is read aloud. The nisuin then proceeds. The bride and groom stand beneath the chuppah, a canopy held up by four poles, symbolic of their dwelling together and of the husband's bringing the wife into his home. The importance of the chuppah is so great that the wedding ceremony is sometimes referred to as the chuppah. The bride and groom recite seven blessings(sheva brakhos) in the presence of a minyan (prayer quorum of 10 adult Jewish men). The essence of each of the seven blessings is: 1. ... who has created everything for his glory 2. ... who fashioned the Man 3. ... who fashioned the Man in His image ... 4. ... who gladdens Zion through her children 5. ... who gladdens groom and bride 6. ... who created joy and gladness ... who gladdens the groom with the bride 7. and the standard prayer over wine. The couple then drinks the wine. The groom smashes a glass (or a small symbolic piece of glass) with his right foot, to symbolize the destruction of the Temple. The couple then retires briefly to a completely private room, symbolic of the groom bringing the wife into his home. This is followed by a festive meal, which is followed by a repetition of the sheva brakhos. Exuberant music and dancing traditionally accompany the ceremony and the reception. You will rarely hear the traditional "Here Comes the Bride" wedding march at a Jewish wedding. This song, more accurately known as the Bridal Chorus from *Lohengrin*, was written by antisemitic composer Richard Wagner. He was Hitler's favorite composer, and it is said that the Nazis used to broadcast Wagner's songs over the concentration camps. For this reason, Jews have been understandably reluctant to play his music at our weddings. Awareness of this historical tidbit is fading, though, as is that reluctance. The Marital Relationship Marriage is vitally important in Judaism. Refraining from marriage is not considered holy, as it is in some other religions. On the contrary, it is considered unnatural. The Talmud says that an unmarried man is constantly thinking of sin. The Talmud tells of a rabbi who was introduced to a young unmarried rabbi. The older rabbi told the younger one not to come into his presence again until he was married. Marriage is not solely, or even primarily, for the purpose of procreation. Traditional sources recognize that companionship, love and intimacy are the primary purposes of marriage, noting that woman was created in Gen. 2:18 because "it is not good for man to be alone," rather than because she was necessary for procreation. According to the Torah and the Talmud, a man was permitted to marry more than one wife, but a woman could not marry more than one man. Although polygyny was permitted, it was never common. The Talmud never mentions any rabbi with more than one wife. Around 1000 C.E. , Ashkenazic Jewry banned polygyny because of pressure from the predominant Christian culture. It continued to be permitted for Sephardic Jews in Islamic lands for many years. To the present day, Yemeniteand Ethiopian Jews continue to practice polygyny; however, the modern state of Israelallows only one wife. Those who move to Israel with more than one wife are permitted to remain married to all of the existing wives, but cannot marry additional ones. A husband is responsible for providing his wife with food, clothing and sexual relations (Ex. 21:10), as well as anything else specified in the ketubah. Marital sexual relations are the woman's right, not the man's. A man cannot force his wife to engage in sexual relations with him, nor is he permitted to abuse his wife in any way (a practice routinely permitted in Western countries until quite recently). A married woman retains ownership of any property she brought to the marriage, but the husband has the right to manage the property and to enjoy profits from the property. Prohibited Marriages and Illegitimate Children The minimum age for marriage under Jewish law is 13 for boys, 12 for girls; however, the kiddushin can take place before that, and often did in medieval times. The Talmud recommends that a man marry at age 18, or somewhere between 16 and 24. The Torah sets forth a laundry list of prohibited relations. Such marriages are never valid. A man cannot marry certain close blood relatives, the ex-wives of certain close blood relatives, a woman who has not been validly divorced from her previous husband, the daughter or granddaughter of his ex-wife, or the sister of his ex-wife during the ex-wife's life time. For a complete list, see 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) . The offspring of such a marriage are mamzerim (bastards, illegitimate), and subject to a variety of restrictions; however it is important to note that only the offspring of these incestuous or forbidden marriages are mamzerim. Children born out of wedlock are not mamzerim in Jewish law and bear no stigma, unless the marriage would have been prohibited for the reasons above. Children of a married man and a woman who is not his wife are not mamzerim (because the marriage between the parents would not have been prohibited), although children of a married woman and a man who is not her husband are mamzerim (because she could not have married him). There are other classes of marriages that are not permitted, but that are valid if they occur and that do not make the children mamzerim. The marriage of minors, of a Jew to a non-Jew, and of a koheinto the prohibited classes of women discussed below fall into this category. A kohein is not permitted to marry a divorcee, a convert, a promiscuous woman, a woman who is the offspring of a forbidden marriage to a kohein, or a woman who is the widow of a man who died childless but who has been released from the obligation to marry her husband's brother. A kohein who marries such a woman is disqualified from his duties as a kohein, as are all the offspring of that marriage. ------------------------------ *(c) Copyright 5756-5766 (1996-2005), Tracey R Rich* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080102/286f6382/attachment-0001.html From Churchmousejd at wmconnect.com Wed Jan 2 17:45:09 2008 From: Churchmousejd at wmconnect.com (Churchmousejd at wmconnect.com) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 18:45:09 EST Subject: [Biblemat] "ILLUSTRATIONS & OBSERVATIONS">A Message-ID: ASPIRATIONS I think everyone has a desire for something better in their life. And it would be rare indeed for someone to say they had no desire for anything other than what they have already. Wanting more in our lives does not necessarily mean we are motivated by greed. As a matter of fact wanting more can be a good thing in some incidences. Spiritually speaking, what do you aspire to in life? Do you want more than you have now, or are you satisfied with what you have? Are you happy with the level of knowledge you have now or do you wish it could be greater? Is your quality of worship all it can be or do you think it could be better? How about your dedication? Dedication is an interesting word. Webster says it means to set apart by solemn act or religious ceremony: to devote to or set apart for some work or duty. This fits almost exactly the meaning God gives to the word ' sanctify' which means to set apart for religious purposes! What means more to you than anything else? What is upper most in your mind on a daily basis? To what are you giving yourself? Your future can be affected by your dedication, because if your dedication is not what it should be, you could fail to prepare for it. By that, I mean eternal life. Your attitude is also important. How do you view your circumstances in life? Do you allow them to overwhelm you or keep your life in constant turmoil? I read once where a person said they prayed to God that he would ' go through' their life and remove every burden and hardship that they might live a peaceful and contend life. I thought as I was reading, this is either a very immature or weak Christian. No person I am aware of has been able to live such a life. What they should be doing is to ask God for strength to deal with the burdens life will invariably throw at them. The Apostle Paul told the Philippians that he had "learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." And he tells them how he is able to do this, "I can do all things in him that strengtheth me." (Phil.4:11-13). He had learned to rely on God to bring him through any problem life threw at him. And as any student of the bible knows, he had more than his share! Perhaps the greatest advice ever given to a child of God was written by Solomon thousands of years ago; "Trust in Jehovah with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding, in all thy ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your paths." (Prov.3:5-6). Are you doing that?I mean, really trusting him? This is the time of year people often make "new years resolutions." while I was never one to make any serious ones (because they were usually forgotten in a week or two). It might be a good time to consider at least putting forth a little more effort to devote more time to God. Take time to consider how you might serve God in a better way. Ask God to show you where you are lacking in your spiritual life. And then help you to improve it. Diligently search for ways to better worship and serve him. Are you daily studying regularly? Find more time. Are you praying two or three times a day? Try to increase it to at least three or four. And I'm sure you will find others, if you look hard enough. I can't think of a better way to start off the New Year than by saying as Did Joshua in the long ago, "As for me and my house, we will serve God." (Josh.24:15) J.D.Williams -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080102/4957e12b/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jan 3 05:10:09 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 06:10:09 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) A GREAT SCIENTIFIC FIND... Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Thursday morning to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here is an article from my ancient files: A GREAT SCIENTIFIC FIND TURNS OUT TO BE AN OLD STOMACH ACHE FOR SCIENTISTS. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of foolishness that can be wrapped up in a single bit of wisdom from the wise of this world. That large segment of the scientific com- munity, wed to the theory of evolution, often with great arrog- ance and fanfare announce great archeological or geological finds that supposedly support their various theories about the origin of things. How could anyone be so backward and stupid as to be skeptical of the accuracy of their dating syst- em and imperious conclusions reached from their vast store- house of data? Yet, occasionally evidence surfaces that is so overwhelm- ing that these great minds have to backtrack themselves to avoid further embarrassment. One such instance happened not long ago. Near the end of 1989, scientists announced the finding of a fossilized egg that was most certainly millions of years old. Now what good would a several million years old fossilized egg be to human- ity? It would give us important information about the origin of certain animal species. It might help us understand what happened to many extinct animals of past ages. But, more importantly, it would likely contain some clues to help us learn more about our own origin and evolution. A valuable find indeed! However, NBC Nightly News (Feb. 22, 1990) reported that this prehistoric fossilized egg turned out to be a stomach stone from a cow -- only about 50 years old. As Riley used to say, "What a revoltin' development that turned out to be!" Yet, in spite of the fact that these scientists had to stand up with egg on their faces on this matter, the liberal educat- ional establishment and journalists will still blindly accept the scientific communities pronouncements as fact. If one dares question them and suggests that maybe we ought not teach evolution as fact in our public schools -- he is ridiculed as a backward fundamentalist who would thrust us back to the dark ages. I wonder how many more finds like this one that it will take for these people to begin to see that most of their educated guesses could be off several million years -- minus 50 years or so. Keep on digging, fellows. It just might be tht some of those bone fragments of prehistoric man may turn out to be about as valuable as that old cow's stomach stone. ---------- Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. in Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 10, Nov. 1995. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/3ae3448e/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Thu Jan 3 05:10:19 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 06:10:19 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) THE PROBLEM WITH SIN Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. THE PROBLEM OF SIN Sin is not a popular theme today. Many people avoid using the term. In a culture used to relative values, the idea of sin is not liked. People want the right to do as they please. Being told some things are just plain wrong is seen as hyper- critical or pious arrogance. Yet, sin does have its effects. Notice what happened when the first sins were committed. And then, notice how this still happens when people choose to ignore God or reject His Will. "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord had made. And he said to the woman, Indeed, has God said, You shall not eat from any tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die. And the ser- pent said to the woman, You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirab- le to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made them- selves loin coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord god call- ed to the man, and said to him, Where are you? And he said, I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid be- cause I was naked; so I hid myself. And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate. Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, 'The ser- pent deceived me, and I ate" (Gen. 3:1-13). When Eve, and then Adam, ate from this forbidden tree, several things changed. Notice how sin messes with things. Sin Messes With You And God: -- God comes to the garden in the cool of the day, which seems to have been His custom. Here is the Creator, the almighty God, coming down to spend time with His children. His friends. Yet, when He comes this particular afternoon, things have changed. Adam and Eve are hiding from Him. They have gone from being naked and un- ashamed, to being guilty and frightened. God doesn't change at all in this scene. He does what He always had done. The change we see takes place with the people who messed up. Eve, and then Adam, fell into a com- mon trap. Instead of serving God, they wanted to be God. Sadly, they were even less like God after the sin. Later, God will expel them from the garden. Their intimate relationship with God was ruined and would never be the same. If you are not a believer, this issue might not seem import- ant. But, the truth is, you cannot choose to go your own way and wake up one day close to God. It will not happen. Sin messes with your relationship to God. Sin Messes With Your Self Image: -- Even if losing relation- ship to God is not troubling to you, this truth should alarm you. After they had chosen to sin, Adam and Eve saw them- selves differently. No longer were they innocent and unashamed . Instead, they make clumsy efforts to cover themselves and hide from God. They could no longer see themselves as they did before. Shame, guilt and defensive- ness had become a part of their thinking. This is why we live in such a troubled world. People don't feel good about themselves. They know they are not good enough, and too often, they just continue to live at that level. They don't like themselves very much, and as a consequence tehy have a great deal of trouble liking others. Like Adam and Eve, people today turn to odd solutions. They use alcohol, or other drugs to try to feel better. They seek good times in sexual activities or in parties. They try to leave their sense of failure by having fun. But, like Adam and Eve, they know they are hiding the truth. Like them, they one day wake up to know they are still not happy with themselves All the psychology in the world cannot change this. Sin mess- es with your self esteem. Sin Messes With Relationships: -- Just imagine how Eve felt when Adam blamed her for the whole thing. She had lived with her spouse in perfect harmony. There had been no blaming or nagging, since there had been no failure. Now, he is pointing his finger at her, hoping God will blame her instead of him. You see, their relationship had undergone a huge change. They had been naked, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. They had nothing to hide, until sin messed things up. Now they start laying blame on others. In their own sense of failure, they begin to hurt the ones they love the most. Do you think Eve ever felt the same for Adam after this moment? Always there would be the memory of her husband criticizing her. Always she would think he blamed her. And, there were serious consequences for both. Adam would not have an easy life, but a life of toil and burdens. Eve would feel pain in giving birth. And, she would know that all the struggles her children faced would be due to her failure. That is, her children and grandchildren would hurt because of her. You see, sin messes with all of your relationships. So, today we have child abuse. We have spousal abuse. We have abuse of the elderly. Violence is rampant in homes and in our society. And, even when violence is not present, there is blame, anger, selfishness in every marriage and in every home. All because we choose sin instead of God. You may not think sin is a big deal, but it messes with the people who are closest to you. No matter how hard you try, you will let them down, they will be hurt. Sin messes with your relatio-nships. Sin Messes With The Next Life: -- At the end of this chapter, God sends Adam and Eve away from the garden, because He doesn't want them to eat from the tree of life. Eating from that tree would keep them alive. But God wanted to give them a chance to repent and change. If they could live for- ever, they would never change, giving up their sins. So, God compels them to leave the garden and go into a harsh world where they would experience death. Ultimately, this is the worst aspect of sin. It keeps you from having hope for the next life. Sin keeps you from God, it destroys your self esteem and ruins your relationships. But, worst of all, sin will keep you from God's presence in the next life. "For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thes. 1:6-9). Imagine a day when the sun doesn't rise, where there is no light, no hope, nothing to look forward to. That is what happens when you accept sin as your way of life, instead of serving God. There is good news at this point. God dealt with the sins of Adam and Eve. But even then, He pointed to a solution to your sin problem. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Himon the heel" (Gen. 3:15). After the very first sin, God started His plan to save man through the life and death of Jesus. Satan would injure Jesus, but the Christ would destroy Satan and his ways. The good news, even in sin, is that God offers you a way out. Sin: Die To Sin: -- Sin has terrible effects. To be free of its effects, you need to die to sin. You do that by coming to God through His victorious Son. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised rom the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, cer- tainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection" (Rom. 6:1-5). The apostle Paul tells you how to die to sin. You must come to Jesus, admitting your failures and accept- ing His mercy. You must turn from your sin. You must be buried with Christ in baptism. Then, you can look forward to a resurrection with Jesus in which sin no longer has any power. Be baptized into Christ and let Jesus clean up your mess. -------- David Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 38, Sept. 21, 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/092c0336/attachment-0001.html From kthomas at ntslink.net Thu Jan 3 10:48:11 2008 From: kthomas at ntslink.net (kenneth Thomas) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 10:48:11 -0600 (Central Standard Time) Subject: [Biblemat] Poem, I Am Narrow Minded Message-ID: <477D11CA.000003.01792@KENSCOMPUTER> I Am Narrow Minded? By Kenneth E. Thomas Yes indeed I am narrow minded I insist that two plus two = four If someone says it's more or less He'd not be allowed to keep score! Where souls are under consideration Can we do any less than be exact? Belief plus immersion for forgiveness And one can be assured he's on track! Jesus said it in Mark sixteen sixteen The teaching that's easy to discern He who believes and is baptized is saved This teaching from Jesus we must learn! (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-47; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:22-38,40-41, 47; Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 3:26-29 Acts 9:1-6; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:18-22). Kenneth E. Thomas Pekin church of Christ 1451 Valle Vista Blvd. Pekin, IL 61554 1 (309) 347-3582 - Office 1 (309) 347-5645 - Home -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/1f0b8576/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 251 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/1f0b8576/attachment.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 289 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/1f0b8576/attachment-0001.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 16287 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/1f0b8576/attachment-0002.gif From lovelace.bob at gmail.com Thu Jan 3 12:03:26 2008 From: lovelace.bob at gmail.com (Bob Lovelace) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 11:03:26 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] When You're Promised You'll Like It! (Bob W. Lovelace) Message-ID: <3f3d53410801031003n7e7e2e1dm278320994de84091@mail.gmail.com> The Truth In Print Vol 13 Issue 12, January 2008 A Publication of the Valley church of Christ 2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058) Website Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com *Selected Newspaper Articles From The Valley Church Of Christ* Dear reader the following bold headings are selected articles that appeared in our local newspaper the Yuma Sun. The intent of these articles is that each shows a love for and desire to present the Truth without incorporating the emotional flavor so popular with other religious bodies today. *When You're Promised You'll Like It!* Have you ever considered "pitches" for attracting visitors in the light of what God's word should produce? Even seeing their bill boards today should make one stop and think. As one in town put it, "I hate to admit it but going where I go I think at times I'm looking at Ken and Barbie." Ken and Barbie productions are made to please man not God ! (cf. Gal. 1:10). God's word teaches that the fault lies with "both" the listeners and the speakers. Read the below along with the recommended scriptures for yourself in the Bible: 1. Listeners: Wanting to have their ears tickled they accumulate teachers who will allow them parties and booze, lying when it is personally and financially profitable, being partial or silent rather than rebuking, and in general to be just like those great guys in the world whom they love more than God's word (2 Tim. 4:3-4). 2. Speakers: Those who being slaves themselves of their own like covetous and carnal appetites, who through their flattery, entertaining, and artful speech find that the above listeners are more than willing to support them quite well! (2 Tim. 4:3-4; Rom. 16:17). 3. Speakers & Listeners: The so called woman "pastor" along with the non-spiritual weak men who love to have women leading their church (I Tim. 2:11-12; I Cor. 14:34, 37-38). 4. Speakers & Listeners: Together, both speakers and listeners who are bold in their wickedness, practicing or condoning fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, and all manner of wickedness, and are liars and tell those who love the above things, and more, that God will not punish (Jer. 5:5, 7-9, 12, 24-31). *Politics Does Not Make Evil To Be Good!* There is much said about the fear associated with "political correctness" in our society. Religiously speaking, true Christians are going to tell people they are wrong when they are wrong morally, i.e. religiously. That's so at least for those who have not begun, as others have, to practice "political correctness" in the church! For example, Jesus' list of things proceeding out of the heart that defile a person contains "fornications" (cf. Matt. 15:19-20). His condemnation of "fornications" (pl. form) includes illicit sexual intercourse such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, and intercourse with animals. The logical order in which Sin appears is from one's mind (heart) to being carried out by their sinful action (Matt. 15:19). No amount of political correctness will ever change that religious truth! (cf. Acts 24:25). Politicians, like so called ministers, who tell others they don't believe "fornications" are sinful just seek to reverse in peoples' minds what the truth about Sin really is. All of them will always be religiously wrong! Like fornications, Jesus said that "murders" come out of an evil heart. Abortion is murder. Evil thoughts produce transgender nonsense today. Saying children must "choose" sexual preference is indeed sick. Open your eyes to the vast amount of perverted nonsense pushed by those who are themselves corrupt. Concerned reader, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins as commanded and save yourself from this corrupt generation! (cf. Acts 2:37-42). To begin a study and learn about the just mentioned salvation you may go to ? http://www.yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/churchone.htm. *God Knows When Men Conceal the Truth* Some would like to fix things to prevent Christians from teaching against sins that damn the soul. All such hate the one who reproves sin and speaks uprightly (cf. Amos 5:10, Pr. 9:7-8). They also hate the truth of God's word that states the sins! The sin of homosexuality is listed in I Cor. 6:9-10 with several others sins that will cause some to be lost. It belongs with degrading passions flowing from impure hearts which cause both men and women to dishonor their bodies among themselves, Paul said (cf. Rom. 1:24-27). Such persons had exchanged the truth of God for a lie! Moreover they worshiped and served the creature rather than God the Creator. Those claiming to preach God's word while restraining their lips are known by God for concealing His truth from the people (cf. Ps. 40:9-10; Acts 20:20, 27). Being covetous and not fearing God they flatter the arrogant rich and powerful in society for financial gain (cf. Matt. 6:24, 2 Pet. 2:1-19). While professing to teach God's word they help the ungodly and love those who hate the Lord! Moreover they are companions of those who lapse into falsehood for fear of being persecuted (cf. Ps. 40:4, Gal. 6:12). Those who hate the good and love the evil in society will be condemned by God (cf. 2 Chron. 19:2, Ps. 34:21, Micah 3:2). But the man who is blessed trusts in God, and has not shown regard to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood (cf. Ps. 40:4). This man hates evil, and loves the good and establishes justice so that God will be gracious to him (cf. Amos 5:15). *Justifying Self By Saying Church Responsibility Is Not Necessary * Read the following answers to self justifications offered for not studying and seeking a scriptural church: 1. "Jesus said enter into your closet and pray in secret. If good enough for Jesus it is good enough for me!" Answer: One lesson on "private" (individual) prayer and worship, to counter the Pharisees' hypocritical public prayers, does not mean people do not have to concentrate on "where" and "with whom" they worship collectively (Read Matt. 18:15-17; I Cor. 5; Heb. 10:24-25). 2. "Jesus said the kingdom of God is within you." Answer: Christ dwells in the heart of true Christians (Eph. 3:17), and they will not disobey this command to not forsake assembling themselves together: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:25). 3. "I have a personal relationship with God, thus I can pray in private without being a member of a church." Answer: The Christians addressed above in Hebrews 10:24-25 also had a personal relationship with Christ in prayer (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16). But that did not eliminate the necessity of collective work and worship in the local church! "The Bible says ye are the temple of the living God." Answer: Since this statement was made by Paul "when" he wrote to the local church at Corinth, and regulated their assemblies, it could never mean you can choose to not consider carefully your collective responsibility! (cf. I Cor. 1:1, 3:6, 11:17-34, 14:1-40; 2 Cor. 6:16) To understand this collective obligation you may go to ? http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/churchfour1.htm . ---------------------------------------------------------- To learn more call, visit or visit our website at: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080103/77fdd0b2/attachment-0001.html From tedwards at onemain.com Thu Jan 3 13:54:11 2008 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:54:11 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 12/16/07 Message-ID: <477CE903.26788.13DC424@localhost> ____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ December 16, 2007 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Lesson From a Funeral (Harry R. Osborne) 2) Apathy's Antidote (Steve Klein) 3) Are You Different? (Greg Gwin) ____________________________________________________ -1- Lesson From a Funeral by Harry R. Osborne Have you been to a funeral lately? None of us enjoys funerals, but the reflection demanded by such occasions is good for us. The Bible speaks of the need to learn the lessons that are taught by facing death's reality. Notice the words of Solomon: "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth" (Eccl. 7:2-4). A while back, I entered the house of mourning for an especially thought-provoking funeral. The body of a young man who had turned 18 just three weeks before lay in the casket. He died as the result of a car accident which also took the lives of three other teenagers enjoying a week off during Spring break. Hundreds of teenagers from the local high school were present. The death served as a vivid reminder that the curse of death that has invaded our world as a result of sin may bring tragedy upon all. This random occurrence of accidental death was well described by one Bible writer of old: "I returned and saw under the sun that -- The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them" (Eccl. 9:11-12). The death of any person we have known makes us face death as a reality. When we attend a funeral, death is not a theoretical proposition -- it is a reality! We are forced to contemplate the fact that we too will die just as the one whose memory we honor at a funeral. The admission of that reality brings with it several lessons. First, we must see the brevity of life. The Psalmist said, "Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor" (Psa. 39:5). In the New Testament, James refers to the same thing noting, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (Jas. 4:14). Therefore, our prayer should be that of Psalm 90:12 -- "So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." Second, we are impressed with the frailty of life. When we see the body of one so alive a few days ago now lifeless within the casket, this lesson is impossible to ignore. David speaks of life's uncertainty by noting that "there is but a step between me and death" (1 Sam. 20:3). Solomon declared the same thing saying, "No one has power over the day of death" (Eccl. 8:8). Third, we are brought to contemplate what lies beyond this life. The Bible answers that point emphatically by stating, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). Whether in youth or in later years, all of us must be prepared to meet God in judgment, "For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil" (Eccl. 12:14). We have no guarantee on life. We hold no lease for so many years. If that young man could pass from this life unexpectedly in his youth, so you and I may too pass at any time. We must all learn this lesson often forgotten until driven into our hearts by the house of mourning. Yes, it is good to go into the house of mourning. It is not enjoyable, but it is still good. The good comes from the fact that we are made better by facing the lessons learned by the occasion and changing our life for the better. Let us all seriously reflect upon our lives in view of our certain destiny to face God in judgment. -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 21, p. 10, November 3, 1994 ____________________________________________________ -2- Apathy's Antidote by Steve Klein Apathy is defined as "a lack of feeling or concern: indifference." We've often heard others complain that "nobody cares" about the underprivileged or the righting of wrongs in society. Uncured social apathy has long been with us. Helen Keller said that, "Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the apathy of human beings." That being said, religious apathy has not always been as widespread as it is now. American history is filled with examples of religious passion. But today, apathy is a growing problem in our country and in the church. One indication of the problem is seen in the increasing lack of concern for attending church. Recent studies by the Barna Group have shown that from 1992 to 2003 the average attendance at a typical church service has dropped by 13% whereas the population of America has increased by 9%. Their research also indicates that at the present rate of change, most Americans will identify themselves as non-religious or non-Christian by the year 2035. Corresponding to these figures, other studies have shown a continued decline in general Bible knowledge among the American population. The sad reality is that if we asked the typical American, "Is the biggest problem in the religious world today ignorance or indifference?" most would probably respond by saying, "I don't know and I don't care!" The Scriptures command that Christians be "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). The word "apathy" should never describe our service to the Lord. Yet, how much concern are we showing in our service? Are we attending as we should? Do we involve ourselves in church work according to our talents? Do we study our Bibles? Do we talk about God's truth with others? Are we striving fervently to live godly lives? If we're honest, most of us would probably admit that we do not show enough concern for these things. What is the cure for spiritual apathy? To my knowledge, there is no support group that one can join to overcome apathy. There is no such thing as Apathetic's Anonymous, and if there were, no member of the group would care enough to tell you who they were or where they meet. So, what's the cure for apathy? Peter tells us in second Peter the third chapter. The coming of the day of the Lord will cure apathy! Peter reminds us that the day of the Lord will come, and that just as surely as God once destroyed the earth with water, He will destroy it again with fire. He says, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). If we accept that, we won't be apathetic! Peter goes on to say, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...." (2 Peter 3:11-12a). Everyone will have their religious apathy cured by the day of the Lord. Either you will swallow the cure in this life by accepting the reality of His coming or the cure will be forced upon you on that day. When the Lord returns and the earth is destroyed, everyone will care about their service to Him. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, November 25, 2007 ____________________________________________________ -3- Are You Different? by Greg Gwin It was a mere backyard pool toy -- an inflatable rubber raft. But to these boys it was what they had been hoping for -- what they had been needing -- it was a fishing boat! Now they could "get out amongst them" -- out in the pond where the really big ones lurk. Only one more thing was needed. What could they use for an anchor? After all, every boat needs an anchor! Finally they had the solution -- an empty plastic milk jug. Fill it with water to make it heavy, and tie on a rope. But, wait! Something is wrong. The anchor won't sink! A valuable lesson in physics is learned the hard way. The water in the jug weighs no more than the water outside the jug. You can't make an anchor that way! And, who says that fishing isn't educational? There's a spiritual lesson to be learned here, too. (You knew I was coming to that, didn't you?) Christians are to be a strong influence in the world. Jesus used the analogies of "salt" and "light" in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:13-16). But we can't be that kind of preserving and enlightening influence on others if we are not different than they are. If we talk, dress, and act like people of the world, we won't be able to change them. If we do what they do, go to the evil places that they go, and engage in their evil practices, we can't teach them. Paul urged us to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed ..." (Rom. 12:2). Learn the lesson! A boat anchor made out of water won't sink, and a Christian who is like the world won't win others to Christ. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, Feb. 18, 2007 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards at onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________ From tedwards at onemain.com Thu Jan 3 14:29:17 2008 From: tedwards at onemain.com (tedwards at onemain.com) Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:29:17 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 12/23/07 Message-ID: <477CF13D.18087.15DE57C@localhost> ____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ December 23, 2007 ____________________________________________________ Balanced Christianity by Joe R. Price Much is being said these days about a balanced approach to Christianity. Appeals for balanced approaches to preaching and to general Christian living are heard among us. Such scripturally based appeals are always appropriate, needed, and appreciated. Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 teaches we should find the "golden mean" of life by avoiding self-righteousness, conceit, and deliberate wickedness while pursuing reverence in all things. Read God's description of a truly balanced life: "All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing. Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all" (Eccl. 7:15-18, ASV). God expects us to love him "with all (our) heart, and with all (our) soul, and with all (our) mind, and with all (our) strength" (Mark 12:30). Some say that the Christian life is not a balanced approach to living. "Fanatical" is the description they assign to those who live by faith in Christ. Such characterizations notwithstanding, Christianity is indeed a life which is balanced upon the standard of revealed truth. We must speak clearly and without ambiguity when advising brethren to pursue balanced lives. Since God's word is clear, we must speak with equal clarity as we address all matters pertaining to life and godliness (John 17:17; 2 Cor. 1:19; 11:3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 4:2). In our rush to be balanced we must be careful not to lose our equilibrium. Consider some applications we can make to ensure scriptural balance in our lives as the people of God. "Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (2 Tim. 4:2). Preaching is balanced when the preacher preaches the whole word of God "in season, out of season." Loss of balance occurs when we are unwilling to preach what needs to be heard when it needs to be heard (Jer. 20:7-9; Ezek. 2:1-7; 3:17-21). We are not promoting balance when we fail to address from God's word the immediate spiritual needs of our hearers (whether they are our brethren or those outside of Christ). Remaining silent when error is being taught (instead of reproving, rebuking, and exhorting the teacher of that error) is not a balanced approach to gospel preaching. While in Ephesus, Paul properly balanced his teaching of the gospel when he "shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house" (Acts 20:20). On many occasions the apostle Paul, directed by the Spirit of God, deliberately addressed the needs of his brethren. Was Paul out of balance? What do you think? In 2 Corinthians 10-13 he extensively defended his apostleship. Was that balanced Christianity? Or do you think he should have simply ignored the false charges being spread against him and his work? If he had so acted, he would have been like some brethren today who will not defend their own teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage or unity-in-diversity. Did Paul practice the "balance" for which some brethren are calling today? He did not. Where is the "balance" for which some brethren are calling today? When Paul devoted an entire epistle to the Galatians to defend salvation by the gospel of grace instead of the law of works, was his equilibrium distorted and his balance lost due to an inordinate zeal for truth? When the writer of Hebrews repeatedly emphasized the "better" nature of Christ and his covenant was he guilty of losing his balance? After all, he spent most of his time exposing the error of those who would return to the Old Testament system for their salvation. Perhaps he should have been more loving and less direct? Would he then have achieved greater "balance" in his presentation of the truth? You see my dear brethren and friends, our definition of and plea for balance can very easily result from human wisdom and judgment instead of applying the divine standard of truth. Some Christians are uncomfortable with exposing false doctrines and false teachers with the light of gospel preaching. Some who advise us to pursue balance are out of balance when they are unwilling to publicly respond to error which is publicly taught. When we are content to leave the controversial subjects to others, choosing instead to remain silent when error is taught, we have forfeited Bible-based balance. Crying "peace, peace, when there is no peace" will not heal the wounds of sin and error among God's people (Jer. 6:14). Silence is not golden when it comes to addressing, exposing, and rebuking error with God's truth. Balance compels us to speak out! Some appear to be defining balance as "smoothness." But, things will not always go smoothly when truth exposes error. Not everyone will accept sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Why is the one who straightforwardly speaks out against error said to be out of balance ("his timing is off," "he is insensitive," "he is unkind," etc.)? Why is he viewed as not having a balanced approach toward error and the errorist? Yet, the one who will not speak out and answer error with the truth of God is seen as balanced, loving, and considerate? My brethren, whether it is doctrinal error outside the body of Christ or doctrinal and moral impurity within the body of Christ, we must not be deceived into softening the message of truth for the sake of inappropriately defined balance. One brother recently wrote that "the really effective preacher is balanced in his approach to preaching." Amen! By scripturally defining "balanced in his approach" we can exhort every gospel preacher in this regard. However, remember that charging a fellow-Christian with not having a balanced approach in his preaching can also cloak an underlying disagreement with the truth he advocates. Describing one as unbalanced in his preaching could reveal a hesitation and unwillingness to forthrightly condemn error. It is always easier to say a brother is not being "balanced in his approach" than it is to carefully and scripturally approach a sinner about his sin! Remember, brethren who objected to the truth he preached charged Paul's approach as being out of balance (2 Cor. 10:10-11,2). Beware brethren, lest we accuse faithful brethren in Christ with being out of balance simply because we disagree with the truth they preach. The crucial question we ought to be asking is whether their preaching agrees with God's word. Have we developed itching ears, looking for someone to scratch them? Or do we think we are above such temptations today? The warning of 2 Timothy 4:3-5 continues to apply. "And the Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will" (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Here is another call for a balanced approach in our dealings with others. Unfortunately, today's call for balance confuses the issue and can become an excuse for inaction. The desire for "balanced Christianity" can become an excuse for not confronting the sinner about his sin (in an effort to convert him, Gal. 6:1-2; Jas. 5:19-20). Have you ever known of Christians reasoning this way when trying to decide how to help a fellow-Christian who has fallen into sin: "We have to go slowly here. We might run him off. Let's wait awhile and not be so direct, and maybe he will come around. After all, his heart is sincere."? We have become afraid of straightforward, loving yet immediate action toward brethren in sin (Matt. 5:23-24; 18:15-17; Gal. 6:1)! We have become afraid we will not appear balanced. The genuinely balanced approach toward confronting sin compels us to "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching." It wastes no time in snatching the sinner out of the fire (Jude 22). What greater balance can we strive for in our lives than to understand the serious and eternal consequences of sin and being prompted thereby to rush to the aid of those ensnared by it? Look at some of the Bible examples of true balance in this area: (1) Peter did not delay in rebuking Simon's sin (a new convert, Acts 8:18-24). Peter took the appropriate and balanced approach toward saving a brother from spiritual death. He shows us how to balance our knowledge of the sinner's condition with our responsibility to help save him (cf. Jas. 5:19-20). (2) When Paul publicly withstood Peter in Galatians 2:11-14, was his approach out of balance? Not at all. Upon seeing the hypocrisy of Peter's conduct as well as its influence upon other Christians, he immediately and publicly opposed Peter. Paul sets an example for us of balancing the needs of the sinner and those influenced by him with the personal discomfort of confronting the sinner. Very few people enjoy confrontation. Paul did not (cf. 2 Cor. 2:1-4). But, he understood that unless he acted at once (where truth and souls were at stake) both the gospel and the souls of men would suffer (cf. Gal. 2:4-5). That, my brethren, is the balanced approach we must instill within ourselves whenever acting to meet our responsibility toward those held in the clutches of sin and error. (3) Inspired with God's word, Jeremiah was commissioned by God "to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jer. 1:9-10). Was Jeremiah unbalanced? Four of the things he was told to do were "negative," destructive (pluck up, break down, destroy, overthrow). Only two were "positive" (build and plant). Who told Jeremiah to do these things? God did! Since we do not want to charge God with being out of balance, we ought not charge his servants, who preach his word against error, with being unbalanced. Whose standard will we use to determine when preaching is balanced, God's or man's? Some people see the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 as balanced preaching, but describe the condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 as unbalanced. The fact is Jesus was balanced on both occasions because both times he dealt with the specific needs of the moment, addressing the very issues which would cause the good-hearted hearer to obey the gospel, while exposing the sinner and his sins. Why shouldn't we pattern our preaching after that of our Master? Whose definition of balance will we apply? Who are the preachers, papers and/or writers today who are being decried as out of balance? For three years while in Ephesus Paul "ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears" (Acts 20:31). Imagine the outcry today if a gospel preacher were to give daily warnings for three years against specific sin and error! If Paul were alive today how often would he be charged with not practicing balanced Christianity? (Could Paul preach in the church of which you are a member, or would he be unbalanced in his preaching?) Why are we eager to oppose similar warnings today, characterizing them as unbalanced, or even as biased hobbyism? What would you think of a magazine that spends 17 months (or even three years) refusing to allow legitimate, thoughtful, and Bible-based responses to the writings of one of its editors? Would it have become unbalanced in its approach of teaching the gospel and wobbly in its effort to advance the cause of Christ? Would it be less than a balanced approach for that same magazine to then remind us of our need to practice balanced Christianity? Why then are brethren accused of being out of balance when they warn against this unbalanced approach to preaching?! As a dear brother of mine would often say, "what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander!" Have we lost our love for the truth and its warnings which are designed to protect us from sin and secure us in our faith and hope? Are we only comfortable with preaching and writing when it is smooth, agreeable and "positive" (but object when it must "pluck up and break down and destroy and overthrow," Jer. 1:10)? Is that and that alone the balanced approach? If so, then we have lost our balance! Jude said "Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). Immediate situations and circumstances compelled Jude to focus his attention and that of his audience upon contending for the faith against ungodly men and their influence (Jude 4ff,). Was Jude's approach out of balance because he spent his entire epistle warning of God's certain judgment against those who deny the Master? No, his teaching was balanced against the deceit and danger of error and sin! We should not censure or criticize similar gospel preaching and teaching today! "He that loveth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:37-38). Jesus taught that we must have total, unwavering allegiance to him at all times (cf. Luke 9:23-24; 14:26-33). All who have this such loyalty to Christ and his truth can expect persecution (2 Tim. 3:12; Matt. 5:10-12). Yet, with resolve of faith we must deny ourselves, take up the cross of suffering, and follow Jesus (Matt. 10:38; Luke 9:23). This course of life for a follower of Jesus will not always be smooth, but it will be the balanced life of faith. It will not always be free of pain and heartache. Nevertheless, it is the balanced life of genuine discipleship. We must not balance ourselves upon the pedestal of human wisdom, but upon the solid rock of Christ and his truth (1 Cor. 3:10-11). If one tells you that you are not taking a balanced approach to Christianity, acknowledge that he might be right, but that such a characterization must be established upon the basis of revealed truth and not that of human wisdom. Ask for the Bible passage(s) you are violating or failing to obey, thereby causing your alleged imbalance. You need to know the truth in order to once more balance yourself (John 8:31-32; 1 John 1:9). If your approach to Christianity is judged to be out of balance, it may be that earthly wisdom has dictated an unrighteous judgment against you (Jas. 3:13-18; 4:11-12; John 5:24). Or, it may be a legitimate assessment requiring diligent examination and correction of yourself in the light of truth (2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Acts 26:20). Either way, living by faith will not produce a smooth (soft) life, but it will bring you the reward of eternal life (Heb. 10:32-39; 1 Pet. 1:3-5). God's people must live balanced lives of faith that put God first, others second, and ourselves last (Mark 12:29-30; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 12:1-3). Balanced Christianity must be completely weighted in favor of God, his truth and his righteousness -- not our personal convenience, comfort, or wisdom (Matt. 6:33; Luke 9:57-62; Ps. 119:104, 128, 160; 1 Cor. 3:18-23; 2 Tim. 4:6-8). -- Via Guardian of Truth XLI: 10 p. 10-13, May 1, 1997 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards at onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________ From jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Thu Jan 3 21:00:37 2008 From: jwquinn at sbcglobal.net (Jon W. Quinn) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 21:00:37 -0600 Subject: [Biblemat] Expository Files 15.1; January, 2008 available Message-ID: Beginning Our 15th year of publication (1994-2008) Expository Files - January 2008 **Our 168th monthly issue** Expository Files is a monthly electronic journal dedicated to Biblical studies. It is edited by Warren E Berkley and Jon W. Quinn. This effort began with the January, 1994 issue and continues to this day. In addition to the four or so expository articles by different writers in each issue, there are special topical studies. In addition, each issue begins and ends with editorials by the editors. We have expository material from every book in the Bible, though there are still portions that are much more lightly covered than others. Thanks to our writers and our readers for making Expository Files such a success! ---------------------------------------------------------- Expository Files 15.1; January 2008 Co-edited by Warren E. Berkley and Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- This month's issue contains: The Front Page Nostalgia By Warren E. Berkley The Central Place of Attitude Philippians 2:1-4 By Warren E. Berkley Don't Quit Praying! Luke 18:1 By Jacob Hudgins Out With The Old and In With The New "Created in the likeness of God" Ephesians 4:20-24 By Jon W. Quinn God's Plan for Marriage Malachi 2:13-16 By Jonathan L. Perz Having A Tight Grip On Your Joy & Commitment Topic Page By Warren E. Berkley Plan of Salvation The Final Page Fourteen Years of Expository Files By Jon W. Quinn ---------------------------------------------------------- EF can be found at the following places: http://www.bible.ca/ef/ Every issue - 1994 to present; every article; html; arranged by book; topic and/or issue; Search engine http://expositoryfiles.homestead.com/index.html 2004-2006 in html by issue; 1994-2003 in zipped self executable format for IBM http://www.geocities.com/w_berkley/ EF in PDF by issue; Sept 2003 to present ===== Jon W. Quinn jwquinn at sbcglobal.net Bradley Church of Christ Bradley, IL 60915 From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jan 4 02:20:18 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 03:20:18 EST Subject: [Biblemat] A) WHERE ARE THE ATHEISTS? Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. A very good Friday morn- ing to each and everyone. May God bless you and yours. Here are a couple of short articles from my ancient files: WHERE ARE THE ATHEISTS? An atheist is oen who believes that there is no God. This is strange because there is so much evidence of the existen- ce of God. One who denies the existence of God cannot deny the existence of the physical universe. Is it a product of chance? "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'"... Psa. 14:1. Was it chance that produced the Empire State Building, the Atom Bomb, a 747 jet liner, and unabridged dictionary? Was it chance that produced the marvelous workings of the human body? A doctor once showed me a book in his library a very large volume all of which was written about a very small part of the human brain. Men may spend a lifetime of study trying to fathom some intricate work of nature, some- thing far too complex to have come into existence by chance. In view of all the evidence anyone who denies the existen- ce of God is either not very smart, or else is not honest enou- gh to admit the evidence. There are people now who claim to be atheists. They are a vanishing breed. After awhile there will not be even one left. "For it is written: 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God'" (Rom. 14:11). --- Billy Norris in Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 10. "LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE..." (Gen. 1:26,27) Man, which includes male and female, was created "in the image of God." This makes man unique among all creation. Man is not just another animal. He is a being especially creat- ed after God's own image. This is why animal life is not on a par with human life. Taking the life of an animal does not compare with taking the life of another human being. Evolut- ion teaches that man evolved from a one cell amoeba through the lower animal chain over a period of millions of years. The outcome of such thinking is that human life is just the same as any other animal life. Thus, we see the effects of those who seek to protect animal life as if it were as important as human life. While we would not make a case for abusing ani- mals, we must understand that human life is far superior to animal life. Mankind was created in the image of God. Animals are not. Actually, animals were placed upon the earth by God, for the use of human beings, even to their use as food and clothing. What does "in the image of God" mean? The Scriptures reveal that God is a Spirit (Jno. 4:24). He is is not a flesh and bone creature. Therefore, the image that man bears in God's likeness must be spiritual. God gave man a spirit, a soul that is not shared by the lower animal kingdom. This is not to say that man is God, but that man is like God in that he is a spirit- ual being. --- Doy Moyer, via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 10, Nov. 1995. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080104/82e146bc/attachment-0001.html From J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com Fri Jan 4 02:20:31 2008 From: J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com (J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 03:20:31 EST Subject: [Biblemat] S) A BRAZEN SERPENT AND A CROSS Message-ID: Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here. Here is a study from my files. Use to the glory of God. A BRAZEN SERPENT AND A CROSS We can all look back over our lives, if we have lived any time at all, and see a collection of stories. In fact, our lives are stories written one day at a time. Some of our life stories are good, some bad; some are happy, some sad. But they are ours. They tell about the days of our lives. Spies And Snakes: -- Not unlike us, there are stories of old that stand out as lessons for us today (Rom. 15:4). One such story is recorded in Num. 21:4-9. Israel had been in bondage in Egypt for over four hundred years. Finally, the strong and mighty hand of God delivers them. Coming to the edge of Canaan, Moses sends out twelve spies. Upon their return, ten of the spies told stories of the land that discouraged the brethren from entering into it. Two of the spies said that God would give them the land if only they would go forward to possess it. As usual, the people began to complain. Moses found him- self facing a nation of enraged disbelievers with stones in their hands to stone him. God is angered at the grumblers and steps in. He declares tht all the doubters will wander for forty years and all from the age of 20 and above would die, save the two believers -- Joshua and Caleb -- in the wilder- ness. During that wandering period, Moses faithfully led the Israelites but had to watch thousands die in the harsh desert. Toward the end of that tragic time in the history of Israel, Moses directed the nation around the land of Edom toward Moab. Along the way the people began to be impatient and unbelievably dared to grumble yet again (Num. 21:4). They had been going in circles for forty years and a famil- iar complaint could be heard in their voice. They spoke against God and Moses. They accused Moses of bringing them out in the wilderness to die (Num. 21:5). Moses did not cause the sun to beat down on them. It was not his fault that the terrain was rough and food sparse. It was not even his fault they were in the wilderness -- their sin brought them there. Then they launched a bitter attack against their Creat- or by complaining about their miserable food. They even com- plained about the deliverance from Egypt. Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!: -- Without warning God sent a swift and ironic judgment. He sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people (Num. 21:6). Immediately Israel comprehended their sin and pleaded with Moses to intercede on their behalf. It has been said tht pain plants the flag of reality in the fortress of a rebel heart. That is certainly true here. Their grumbling quickly ceased and they became a humbled people. Moses intercedes and God responds. The people wanted the Lord to remove the serpents, but God left the serpents while providing a remedy. Fashioning a bronze snake like the fiery serpent, Moses lifted it high on a pole, and "if a serpent bit any man, when he looked on the bronze serpent, he lived" (Num. 21:9). Centuries later, the bronze serpent became an object of worship on the part of some of the Israelites, causing God to call for the complete destruction of the bronze serpent. Also, on a later occasion we find Jesus being lifted up on the cross an action that brought about the spiritual healing of all sinners that would look toward the cross, its purpose, and believe on Him that hung suspended there. (Jno. 3:14,15). Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sins. And, all who look to Him in obedience to His gospel will be saved from their sins. What a marvelous cure for the deadly sting of sin. Fix Your Eyes On Jesus: -- Obedient faith in Jesus' atoning sacrifice provides complete relief and total recovery from the deadly spiritual consequences of sin. Administering our own cure is vain. But we cannot rub a replica of the cross like we would a rabbit's foot, hoping good fortune will come our way. Religion without relationship with Christ is equal to idolatry. The story of the brazen serpent is not so much a story about snakes and hot sand as it is about people in need of forgiveness and hope. Today, we do not have to look at a symbol for forgiveness and hope. We have the real thing -- Jesus Christ. "Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jno. 3:16). ----- Rickie Jenkins in Bibli- cal Insights, Vol. 7, No. 6, June 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080104/0c4cc6e6/attachment-0001.html From kerux at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 4 07:08:42 2008 From: kerux at bellsouth.net (Kent Heaton) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 08:08:42 -0500 Subject: [Biblemat] A>A Remarkable Change (Kent Heaton) Message-ID: <004801c84ed2$efdf0bd0$0101a8c0@D2381J91> A Remarkable Change (Kent Heaton) The day-to-day life of the Jew in Jesus time was surrounded with various parts of the Law of Moses. From birth, a child was instructed in keeping the Law. "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" (Deuteronomy 6:7). The social, political, moral and educational teachings of the Law of Moses permeated every aspect of a person's life. Those who were devoted to the Law lived, breathed and died the Jewish life. It would be inconceivable to think that a Jew would ever consider being anything but a Jew. One of the three great feasts of the Jewish calendar was the Day of Pentecost (fifty days after the Passover - Leviticus 23; Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Numbers 28; Deuteronomy 16). Thousands of people gathered in Jerusalem for this feast with no knowledge that within a very short time their lives will be changed forever. People were milling around talking of their lives and the blessings they enjoyed from Jehovah and the joy of celebrating the "feast of weeks". The giving of the Law at Sinai was central to this festival as well as the blessings of the firstfruits of the harvest. Suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind and people drew together in one place. Before them stood twelve men speaking in various languages - native tongues of many who had gathered for Pentecost. Some thought the men drunk. One of the men spoke up and began to explain what was happening. "But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them" (Acts 2:14). The words Peter spoke were clear, demonstrative, appealing and convicting. With barely five hundred words Peter changed the lives of those gathered for Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36). He showed the events of the day were a fulfillment of Joel, the working of Jehovah God, the declaration of King David in prophecy and the stark reality the Messiah longed for by the Jews had been killed nearly two months previous by His own people. "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' (Acts 2:37). The apostles continued to exhort the people "with many other words" (Acts 2:40) and three thousand Jews removed the shackles of the Law for Jesus Christ (John 1:17; Acts 2:41). How can one grasp the remarkable change that took place that day? The lives of three thousand Jews changed forever. They would learn a new covenant (Hebrews 8:10-13) with new promises. Circumcision was no longer a sign of salvation (Galatians 6:15). The Law of Moses was invalid (Colossians 2). Temple worship with all its trappings (the Temple, priesthood, sacrifices, feast days, etc.) was no longer necessary (John 4:21-24). The laws of the Sabbath were removed (Colossians 2:16). They would learn a new name - "In Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians" (Acts 11:26). Can anyone change? Some today declare the cost of being a Christian is too high. They are unwilling to change. Few would measure their life of change to those devoted children of God in Acts 2. What made them change was the realization that they were not Jews but children of God who must obey His will - even when it meant a change in the Law. They accepted God's will in the spirit of Abraham (Romans 4). Paul wrote about Christians who at one time were immoral, idolaters, adulterers, sexual perverts, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, and robbers and yet changed their lives when they were "washed ... sanctified ... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). They changed. The power of the gospel changed their lives because they were willing to change their lives for the power of the gospel. You can change ... if you want too. Are you willing to change? Kent Heaton 207 NE Fourth Avenue Trenton, Florida 32693 (H) 352-463-6916 (O) 3793 (C) 352-283-3889 www.trentonchurchofchrist.com www.northfloridabiblecamp.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20080104/4b715970/attachment-0001.html From dmartinbtbq at comcast.net Fri Jan 4 11:23:30 2008 From: dmartinbtbq at comcast.net (Don Martin) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 10:23:30 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] The clean animals and the Ark (question/answer) Message-ID: <001e01c84ef6$871ee790$6401a8c0@533034B8A6DF4D9> Don Martin sharing a question/answer. We resumed work today in our Bible Questions endeavor (we shut down two week during the holidays). This is always a good time of the year as we are all refreshed. I use the time away from question to write material for www.bibletruths.net and the ten men who assist me in answering questions have some deserved off time. Hello Jerry, Thank you so much for your question and for making use of Bible Questions. Please do so again. http://www.biblequestions.org Please check out Bible Truths http://www.bibletruths.net Go to the archives section of these sites for material and also go to the archives search page and type in any subject or word you wish to explore. New material is constantly being added to both sites. Any help you can give us in telling others of these sites will be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in really learning more about the Bible, there is an online Bible study course located in Bible Truths. While on the home page, scroll down and enter. While on the Map Site Page, click on "Online Bible Study Course" in the table. Click on http://www.bibletruths.net to go there. You asked: What does "seven each of every clean animal" in verse 2 mean? Reply: As you note, "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female..." (Gen. 7: 2). The apparent reason for this different provision regarding the clean animals was for propagation and sacrifice purposes. I shall insert below comments from Matthew Henry in his, "Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible." I shall also insert an excerpt from, "The Animals and the Ark" located in www.bibletruths.net (see after Henry's comments). To read this article in full, when on the home page, enter through the door and click on "Archives and Index" in the directory. When on the Archives page, click on the letter "A." "...Yet more of the clean were preserved than of the unclean. (1.) Because the clean were most for the service of man; and therefore, in favor to him, more of them were preserved and are still propagated. Thanks be to God, there are not herds of lions as there are of oxen, nor flocks of tigers as there are of sheep. (2.) Because the clean were for sacrifice to God; and therefore, in honour to him, more of them were preserved, three couple for breed, and the odd seventh for sacrifice, ch. 8:20....." "...It seems that man is forever doubtful of the teaching of the Bible. Many will not believe a matter unless it harmonizes with their own preconceived notions or their particular form of rationale, regardless of how flawed their thinking and logic is. One example of man not accepting God's word unless it is consistent with his own thinking involves the animals of the antediluvian world and the ark. The Bible tells us two of each (kinds) of the animals (except for the clean animals) were taken into the ark (Gen. 7). Man says such proves the unreliability of the Bible because no "boat" could transport such a volume of animals. Some among professed Bible believers have called for a second creation following the flood, claiming such is necessitated because of the inadequacy of the ark to accommodate such a large amount of animals....." Thanks again for your good question and for your interest in spiritual matters. I recommend that you print out this email for future reference (web addresses, etc.). You may print out any material you desire in both Bible Questions and Bible Truths (see the copyright provision at the bottom of the home page in Bible Truths). Cordially, Don Martin From dmartinbtbq at comcast.net Fri Jan 4 12:07:01 2008 From: dmartinbtbq at comcast.net (Don Martin) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 11:07:01 -0700 Subject: [Biblemat] Question about when life begins, future recognition, and foreknowledge (question/answer) Message-ID: <008c01c84efc$9b495a60$6401a8c0@533034B8A6DF4D9> Hello Ray, Thank you so much for your question and for making use of Bible Questions. Please do so again. http://www.biblequestions.org Please check out Bible Truths http://www.bibletruths.net Go to the archives section of these sites for material and also go to the archives search page and type in any subject or word you wish to explore. New material is constantly being added to both sites. Any help you can give us in telling others of these sites will be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in really learning more about the Bible, there is an online Bible study course located in Bible Truths. While on the home page, scroll down and enter. While on the Map Site Page, click on "Online Bible Study Course" in the table. Click on http://www.bibletruths.net to go there. You asked: At what point does a human have a soul, at the instance of conception? Also babies who are aborted, died because of miscarriage,etc., will they remain in Heaven just as they left this life except in a glorified body?? Why do you think God would cause you to conceive, knowing you are going to loose the baby??? Reply: You have asked three questions and I shall attempt to address them in the order asked. 1). Your first question regarding the "soul" could involve semantics and lengthy word definition. However, I shall assume that by "soul" you mean "spirit," the eternal part of man that lives forever (Eccl. 3: 21 cp. Gen. 2: 7). James points out that man without a spirit is dead; hence, life presupposes the spirit of man being present (Jas. 2: 24-26). (I might add that "soul," life; and "spirit," the eternal part of man, are often interchangeably used, Matt. 10: 28.) I do not know what other conclusion there is other than at the point of "life," man also has an eternal spirit. Since life begins at conception, it follows that all is in place for humanity being realized at that point. I shall insert an excerpt below from. "Point in Time" found in www.bibletruths.net To read the material in full, enter through the door on the home page and click on "Archives and Index" in the directory. When on the Archives page, click on the letter "T." 2). Your second question cannot not be totally answered, as God's word does not provide such an answer (cp. Deut. 29: 29). Of course, the same question can be asked relative to all stages of physical development. There are many things not revealed about heaven and the future body the saved will occupy (I John 3: 2, I Cor. 15). Involved in the circumstance of your question is also the likelihood that future recognition will entail "what we are," our basic personalities and characters. Again, very little is revealed in the Bible pertaining to such matters (cp. Luke 16: 19-31). 3). Your third question is similar to question two in that it probes and addresses a limited area. Regarding foreknowledge, we are so limited in our apprehension. While God does not possess such limitation and can know all he elects to know regarding the future (Isa. 46: 9, 10), I suspect even if the Bible disclosed more about God and the future, we still would not understand and would then have questions about the answers. I believe we can safely say, though, while God himself may know the particulars of the future, he still "allows" many things to happen for the good and testing of man. I believe it is unquestionable that God knew Adam and Eve would sin when he placed them in the garden and located the tree of knowledge of good and evil within their reach (Gen. 2, 3). However, they deserved a chance. Alas, they failed the test but as a result, all men now have the chance to benefit from the sin cleaning blood of Jesus (Rom. 5; Matt. 26: 28). (See additional comments about foreknowledge at the end of this reply.) Kay, your questions are good and indicate thinking on your part. There is material in www.bibletruths.net pertaining to foreknowledge and heaven. To can consider the many articles comprising the archives by clicking on the "Archives" button on the home page and choosing from the alphabetical index, the Subject Index box, or even do an "Edit/find," using your browser. "...Life - point in time. When does life begin, does it begin at conception, at a certain time in the stage of development after conception but before birth, or at birth? Many contend life begins at birth (first natural breath of air). Hence, "abortion" is not murder. However, the Bible presents life being present before birth (Lk. 1: 41, Ps. 139: 16, Jere. 1: 5, Ps. 139: 13, 15). The Bible does not speak of the embryonic state as lifeless but as being a living entity (Ibid.) Exodus 21: 22-25 is a pertinent passage in establishing the point in time of life. I submit the language "and if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life" is ambiguous for a reason (mother or child). Since we cannot exclude from the language the aborted child, the language must be viewed as inclusive of both mother and/or aborted child. You see, if God had meant to limit the language to the mother, he would have done so. To precipitate the death of the aborting mother or the aborted child necessitated capital punishment because such an act was considered murder (vss. 23, 24, 20: 13). The only reasonable conclusion, then, is life begins before birth and at the point of conception (if not at conception, where do you demarcate in the developmental progression?)....." Additional comments about foreknowledge: There are certainly scriptures that talk about God's ability to see the future. Such is the basis for all the fulfilled prophecies that establish the Scriptures as being from God. At the same time, the scriptures also talk about man's ability to choose right and wrong, good and evil as a free moral agent. Here is an excerpt from one of our archived articles that touches on this: "The scriptures teach the foreknowledge of God. God is able to "declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things are not yet done..." (Isa. 46: 10). Since God's scheme of redemption was planned from the original creation, it is obvious that God knew Adam and Eve would sin, etc. (I Pet. 1: 20, Eph. 1: 4,5, cf. Matt. 25: 34, Rev. 13: 8, 17: 8). Even though God knew Adam and Eve would sin, he did not force or program them to sin. As free moral agents, they elected to sin (Gen. 3). Man's will is involved in his salvation, not God's irresistible coercion (Jn. 3: 16, Matt. II: 28-30). Nonetheless, God knew some would accept before they accepted (Acts 18: 9-11). Hence, some were "ordained to eternal life" because God knew they would obey the gospel when they heard it (Acts 13: 48)."