Friday, December 27, 2013

GOD'S BESTSELLER. Thanks too Nancy Canwell and Signs of the Times Jan.2014 issue

    Preface:    NO BOOK, has ever sold so many copies as the Bible--- and it keeps on selling! Nancy Canwell explains why it's so popular.  P.37.


       They are letters----love letters. And I've kept every one of them. A few months after I met my husband -to-be, I had to return to college to finish my senior year.
       That meant we'd be separated by 400 miles. Without computers or cell phones for instant communications, we mostly relied on letter to get to know each other better.
       Those letters taught me a lot about the young man I would later marry. They were his words, in place of his physical presence--words that showed me his character and were expressions of love.
      The Holy Bible is a lot like that.  Because God, isn't here in human form, He's given us the Bible---letters from Himself, as it were. And in that Book, we learn about His character and how much He loves each one of us. The Guinness Book of World Records states that "although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world's best-selling and most widely distributed book." And, according to the Gideons, more than six billion bibles have been printed.
   
    Why is this? Why is the Bible still a best-seller?  Because the Bible is relevant to every generation. It  teaches us what God is like, it teaches us about salvation, as well as the future,. { (j.b.) something no other can do]

       Marion never had believed that there was a God. The evolutionary theory was taught in her high school, [(j.b.) and taught as fact, even-though it is only just a theory] and she accepted it. But years latter when her husband began reading the Bible, she became curious. So at the age of 31, she picked up a Bible for the first time.
     "Something kept drawing me back," she told me. And this was the text that helped her to discover what God is like.
        2 Peter 3:9  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
      This woman, who had never picked up a Bible, now reads it through every year from Genesis to Revelation. So if YOU want to know what God is really like, read His 66 Love Letters to YOU His child! It is so full of text that speak to His character such as:
    1 John 4:8. "God is love."
    Psalms 103:8  "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy"
    Romans 5:8  "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

HOW SHOULD I LIVE? .

      A pastor I know once told me, "I often have church members come and ask for my opinion on how they should live. They'll say 'Pastor, what do you think of couples living together before marriage'? or, Pastor, what your opinion on the kinds of movies I should watch"?
     He replied, "I tell you my opinion doesn't matter, but I'll show you what God say, and then I open my Bible."
      The Bible is full of instructions on how we should live, including the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. And there are many other texts that direct us, such as.....
      Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
     1 John 2:15-16. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
  .    Matthew 22:36-40. " Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. "

Note (j.b.) B I B L E  means Basic Instructions before Leaving Earth  read John 14:1-3 and last two -three chapters of Revelation.

WILL I BE SAVED?

     "I CHOSE to accept Jesus Christ by faith. " Allen told me, "When I decided to give my life to Him, [(j.b.)it belongs to Him anyway, YOUR very next breath is at His mercy,  PLUS He gave His life for YOUR sins, other wise all would be under Stan's ruler-ship, and humans, who where not his allies, would be extinct] I knew I wasn't worthy. I did not feel good enough to be saved, but the Bible gave me the assurance, and I chose to trust what it told me. The text that really got to me was ....
     John 6:37. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

    IF, you haven't given your life to Jesus and worry about whether you can be saved, go to God' s Word, it'll reassure you with texts like these....
    John 3:15-17. "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
    Ephesians 2:8-9. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
   NOTE [(j.b.)  one big denomination DOES teach that your salvation comes from this church and YOUR works!  But what does the Bible teach?}
   Romans 1:17. " For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
   John 14:15. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  [all 10, not 9, or even 8 as billions do for they have not been taught the BIBLE"s TRUTH., but only the traditions of men.

      John 15:12-15  "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

Note (j.b.) All shall face the Judgment, and Christ is this Judge, so think you it matters if He is also your friend? Get to know Him by the study of His Word, John 1:1-3, 14.

IS THERE ANY HOPE?

       When Irene's son was dying from terminal cancer, it was the Bible that saw her through. She searched it for hope that see would, see her son again, and she underlined every text that promised she would. Her favorite passage was...
     1 Corinthians 15:51-53. "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on in corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
   
John 14:1-3. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

BUT. . .  ARE THESE TEXTS STILL RELEVANT TODAY?

(J.B.) NONE has EVER found any hint of any EXPIRATION DATE on God's Word, and none shall!

    The following are but a small sample of what's awaiting your heart and eyes.....
     Does Jesus care that I am hurting?
      Psalms 34:17-19. "The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."
    Does God actually listen when I talk to Him?
     Psalms 34:18-19. "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."
    Will Jesus actually forgive me when I sin and repent of it?
     1 John 1:8-9. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
     I left God years ago, will He now take me back?
    Isaiah 44:22. "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."
    Is there hope for better life than this one?
    Revelation 21:3-5. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

     Psalms 119:105. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
   His Word, those 66 love letters He caused to be written FOR YOU! They are His words, in His physical absence--- until the day when (at Resurrection Morn) He will again, as with Adam and eve, communicate with us face to face!  AMEN?

                        BIBLE DISCOVERY with Errol Webster.

      A recent survey from the Barna Group, commissioned by the American Bible Society, found that 88% of Americans own a Bible, including 79% of Millennials [ people 18-28]. Eighty percent identify the Bible as a sacred Book. An interesting surprise is that a large percentage of Millenials are interested in the Bible' s wisdom on how to deal with illness and death, dating and relationships and parenting.
The BIBLE as a sacred Book.

   2 Timothy 3:16-17. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
   The word "Inspiration," in the Greek is "breathed", thus breathed by God, via the Holy Spirit, therefore stresses both the Divine origin and Authority of the Holy Bible. [(j.b.). the King James Version Revised is the most accurate of all, however none printed to date, will by its study rob you of salvation,  I F  and only if YOU are willing to surrender self unto Christ, in loving obedience, and prayers for wisdom.
     2 Timothy 3:1"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

How did God communicate what is written in the Bible?
   2 Peter 1:19-21 " We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. "
Plus we have this promise:
     Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
    Prophets are persons God called to speak and write for Him.

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS.
     
WHY WAS THE BIBLE WRITTEN?
    John 20:29-31 "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

    The whole Bible's all about Jesus and God's plan for humanity' s salvation to everlasting life. Thus rescuing all who have chosen Jesus from sin and death and evils.HE is the Promised Messiah of the Old Book [Genesis 3:15 the 1st]  John 5:39-40 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. " Luke 24:44-46 "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:"

What has Christ done for us?
    Romans 5:6-8 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

What did Jesus say would never pass away?
    Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
The distribution of the Bible world-wide is growing. According to the United Bible Societies, in 2011 there were 32.1 million Bibles printed distributed across the world- an increase of 11.2 % over 2010. A "Google" search for "Bible" produced 350 million hits.

What can the Bible do for YOU?
   
What did Jesus say He wants us to have?
   John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

If we lack wisdom what should we do?
    James 1:5  " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Whom did Jesus say will guide us in life?
      John 14:26-27 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

The Holy Spirit is the 3rd Member of the Godhead, The Father, the son and the Holy Spirit remember? One of His names is Counselor meaning "One along side to help."
    In the above survey, 61 % of people responding said they would like to read the Bible more. Know that it says this.....
      Psalms 34:8 " O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Note: (j.b.) The proof my friends is in the tasting, so prove the "pudding" of God is good, for your self, read it, find the answers to life's complexities and relief for your hurts. Accept Christ's love with your your own love, and by love with which you desire to surrender your self unto Him. Then at His return you also shall be with Him and the Father forever and ever, and travel with Him through His creation in utter joy, comfort and peace.

Many thanks to to Sigs of the Times magazine Jan.2014 pp.37-41 and  the authors Nancy Canwell and Errol Webster.

Wish to know more?
Visit your Seventh day Adventist Church, any Saturday/Sabbath @ 9:15 A.M. You just may be very glad that you did.

Comments?.........................Questions?
www.servant@frontier.com
Thank YOU dear reader, for your time
John B.

www.blbn.org

 

     

Thursday, December 12, 2013

HEAVEN - HELL IN THE HERE AND NOW.

      WHEN DOES HEAVEN BEGIN? WHEN DOES HELL BEGIN? 
WHO or WHAT DETERMINES WHICH WAY WE GO?    MATTHEW LUCIO REFLECTS ON THESE QUESTIONS IN "SINGS OF THE TIMES Magazine November 2013 Issue

Many Thanks to both.

       "You are are new Pastor? Well give'em hell!"
         These are among the first words of 'encouragement' that I heard when I left the seminary to begin work at my first church. The laugh that trailed my friend's advice clued me in to the fact that the irony wasn't lost upon him.
      It really wasn't until that conversation that I began to wonder about how often we connect the idea of hell with out lives.
      While most people believe that no one experiences hell until sometime after death, we still insist on associating it with the present through a variety of idioms and proverbs: "War is hell," "I 'm going through hell," "It will happen when hell freezes over, " and "All hell is breaking loose."  On the flip side, we say things like: "This ice cream is heavenly," and "It's a match made in heaven."
      Even our everyday language is heavenly laced with statements of faith that we make without even thinking. Whatever this phenomenon may mean, it cannot be denied that heaven and hell have a foothold on our human imagination.

                                           LIVING THE AFTERLIFE.

      BUT, there's also an element of truth in our unconscious habit of making the afterlife a part of this life. The Bible is clear that the choices we make now already begin to transform us as we go through each day. We art told that if  we respond to God' s love, we will be like Him.
     1 John 4:17  "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."  [j.b. all quotes from KJV.]

     Logically, we have to assume that the opposite is also true: The more we make choices apart from God, the less we will resemble Him [in character}. So, from that perspective, in a very real sense, the heaven or hell on our horizons shall begin in this life, and culminate in the life yet to come. Hell, or going into it, is not an abrupt and unexpected punishment for the wicked but the logical direction [j.b. can we say extension of life's choices each makes daily?] in our present lives? It's an environment of our own making, governed only by our choices and decision.

     The evidence of our choice of heaven or hell can be seen clearly  [by anyone who knows us. j.b.] When someone claims to be a Christian, the apostle Paul tells us to expect certain "fruits," or 'by-products' of a life committed to Christ. They are....
     Galatians 5:22-26 . "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

      Sadly, however most today fit within this warning of Paul's...
       Galatians 5:19-21 . "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,[quarrelsome] emulations, [malice-jealousy] wrath, strife, sedition, [causing dissensions] heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
      With but a few moments of inward reflection we should be able to judge self, and ask "Is my life trending towards these virtues, Paul wrote of, or am I with that he calls 'works of the flesh'?

      There can not be a doubt, that there is a huge conflict on earth between the forces of of good and evil, which can be reduced to a simple statement: " A battle between the principles of love and lust, selflessness and selfishness." [ Please know Christ did not suffer and die, for His own sake, but for ours! j.b.]  
      God's kingdom is a place where love is the principle governing ...force {if that word can be used}  or as Paul was guided to write it so beautifully.....
     Romans 13:10 . "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

Note (j.b.) What Law? Exodus 20:1-17, God's Royal Law, the reflection of HIS character!Matthew 5:22  "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."                                                                                                    The passage above is the spirit of the law, the word RACA, means fool, so even calling another a fool, in anger,can put you in danger of hell-fire, unless and until you seek him/her out, apologize and ask for forgiveness from that person, and then in prayers seek and do the same in Christ's name to your Father which art in Heaven! This will help you to refrain from such words in the future.

     In short, to love, is to know God, and the more we learn to love others, the more we will act as citizens of God's kingdom.

     Conversely, hell [on earth] is a place of restlessness, that results in selfishness, that results in loneliness, bitterness, anger, and finally absolutely no peace of mind, because such a mind is the playground for Satan! As usual God said it best......
     Revelation 14:11  "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. "
Note (j.b.) Revelation relies heavely upon symbolism, to "paint word pictures." Nevertheless, the Lake of Fire, shall come tp oass on this earth which shall burn up and reduce to ashes, all the sins and sinners. [Revelation 19:20;20:10,14-15.] Malachi 4:1  "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."
Yes truth can be fearsome, but knowing the truth and living as God wants us to, all this can be avoided, that's what Freewill allows us to do, to chose how we live this life, according to God's way, or to Satan's way!
       WHY?
     Ezekiel 28:17-19 " Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."
   So chose God's ways, and live eternally, or follow Satan, be reduced to ashes, and ever more be "Blotted out", for in the Hebrew this term means, "Never ever existed".  So all who will be "blotted out", will have willingly chosen this path! This is why the road to destruction is wide, so anyone can make a "U-Turn", even at high-speed. But the gate and path of Christ, is narrow!

    Yet, this restless begin long before anyone will be cast into the lake of fire's one and only time of use. Look,,,,,
      Isaiah 57:20-21  "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
Note (j/b.) Believers on the other hand, do know peace of mind, a far greater peace that the worldly can understand, for we take care of what we are able, and give the rest of our problems and worries to Christ to carry and solve! As all can understand from Isaiah, the wicked are like a storm-tossed sea, never at rest. Long before death seals their fate, because there can no repentance nor forgiveness asked for in the grave, as death seals our judgments. and none knows their own time of the end of life, so claim Christ today, right now!
      Please, let's be clear, the Bible isn't speaking here of a restless night, now and then, nor of getting enough sleep, but a lack of Spiritual Peace of mind. Hell, as per the Bible, is a spiritual atmosphere that envelops a person the further he or she moves away from God, until it finally turns into a physical reality, once God removes Himself from you and the world.

                           IS GOD PRO-CHOICE?

       SOME CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN TAUGHT AND BELIEVE,  that God has Predetermined, in some cosmic lottery, who will or who will not, be in Heaven and who will, be cast into the fire. Therefore we each will live our lives as if we were automatically designated to so do!
    John Calvin, the Swiss Reformer, taught this as ," All [people] are not created on equal terms, but some are pre-ordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and accordingly, as each has been created for one or the other of these ends, we say that he has been predesignated to life or death.
    Note(j.b.) My sincere apologies to all within the Calvinistic Faith, but this statement is well, hogwash! It by-passes so many Bible verses to the contrary, and it totally ignored the God given gift of our free-will. We can chose to sin or not to sin, knowingly!

   However, on it's surface it can be understood for humans to accept as did Calvin by Paul's  words...
       Romans 7:14-15  "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."

      Have not most of us also fallen short of our goal, to be consistently good? Is due to the fact that all  ALL are predestined to burn? If so please explain.....
     2 Peter 3:9  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
     Romans 2:4  "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
     1 Timothy 2:3-4  "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth"

NOTE (j.b.) As you can read, from God's own words, these words of John Calvin are wrong! It is for this reason, I say, "Never take the words of man/men for the Word of God, learn this for self!" That includes this man, and the reason why you see all these verses, for God's point of view and not mine! Only God can see the future, and as most have trouble learning the past and know not even one second of any future, agree?

     Let's face it, to view Paul life, as John Calvin thought, Paul is destined for hell fire, yet we can tell that his life was NOT characterized by restlessness by separation from god, but by the fruits of heaven: love, joy, peace...
      Galatians 5:22  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,"
      Can we then say, "In God's perspective, hell is avoidable for everyone: it's path is chosen, by those who refuse God's entreaties to the contrary"?   YES or no?

     C.S. Lewis wrote: "There are only two kinds of people in the end, those who say to God 'Thy will be done' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done' " All those who end  up in the lake of fire, will have made a conscience choice to reject God and His ways. No human being, that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it, those that seek shall find.....
        Matthew 7:7  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"  + Luke 11:9 ; 15:8. John 7:34,36. Acts 17:27.

     On the other hand..... there shall come a time when.....
      Revelation 9:6  "And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them"

                                                            THERE IS NO NEUTRAL.

     All shall chose to obey God, or obey Satan via laws of men! The fact that heaven and hell are the result of the sum of our choices.MUST not lead us to think that life on earth is a perpetual "fork in the road", where we spend every waking moment of our lives having to make the decision which way to go. To view lives her as neutral is to ignore the fact that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God " Romans 3:23 The  sad truth is the human race has already walked away from God, and the fact that GOD call us to repentance shows our hostility towards heaven, right?
   Lewis also warns us of this fallacy in his book, "The Great Divorce", "Earth, I think, will not be found by anyone to be in the end a very distinct place. I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if you put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself."

Note: (j.b.) Please read Revelation 21-22 chapters, and learn that earth shall again be the Garden of Eden, so Lewis knew his Bible!

     We are all part of a cosmic conflict between God and Satan, between rest and restlessness. Only eternity can afford us the clarity of hindsight that will reveal fully the direction of our life choices, which perhaps we didn't see or perceive in the fog of our won mortality.
     Yet the truth is that we are all, on a path either to heaven or hell, even if we cannot, as individuals, fully accept nor appreciate the distance of each footstep. But we can tell by the fruits of our lives whether we are increasingly restless and empty inside, or whether we are brimming with peace and hope, saying with the psalmist...

    Psalms 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

 AN EVERLASTING HELL?

     SPEAKING of those who reject God, the Bible says... Revelation 14:11  "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

     It, then becomes easy to understand, why many people believe this means that h ell is a place where those who refuse to accept the grace of God, will suffer pain..."burning in hell"... for the rest of eternity.
   This must be placed upon the doorstep of Biblical ignorance, as the Bible clearly shows....
     Revelation 20:9-10  "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
     And....
   
     Revelation 20:14  "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

The word devoured in red, in the Greek is katesthio ( kat-es-thee'-o) to eat down, lit/fig to devour!  So how can a "Devoured body" that has been reduced to ashes by a brimstone or sulfur fed fire, which burns extremely hot, can there be but a momentary level of pain until the person dies?
In the Bible when it speaks forever and ever, it means that no force can stop the action, until, the job's intent is finished! Sodom was burned by eternal fire, if it never when out why was it its location so long hidden, when the fire still burns?

                                                 An Everlasting HELL? 

      Speaking of those who reject God, the Holy Bible says. "The smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." [Revelation 14:11]

   It is easy to understand why so many people believe this means that hell i a place where those who refuse to accept the Grace of God will suffer in pain---"burn in hell," for the rest of eternity.
   However, the Bible teaches thet when the world ends, fire will devour the devil and his followers [Revelati on 20:9]. DEATH itself will also be thrown into the lake of fire [Vs.14], and  we will then end up living in a clean and peaceful universe.
     Please note the word DEVOUR. How can someone or something still remain to be tormented forever, if it or they have already been swallowed up, which the word devour suggests?
      Malachi 4:1-4  "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments."

NOTE: (j.b.) Please inform me, as to how one can still feel pain, when one is nearly instantly reduced to ashes?  The is but yet another of Satan's lies, in his efforts to pain a wrong picture of God! Satan IS and does  what he accuses God of doing!

Want/need to learn more?
Visit a Seventh day Adventist Church, Any Saturday/Sabbath @ 9:15 Am. You just may be very glad you did.
Again many thanks to both Matthew Lucio and all the people at Sings of the Times magazine of Nov.2013.

Questions?...................Comments?
www.servant@frontier.com

Thank you for your time
John B.

www.blbn.com ------   www.3abn.org

                                   

   

Sunday, December 8, 2013

"WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?" by David Jarnes Sign of the Times Nov.2013.

My thanks to both David Jarnes and the Sings of the Times magazine of November 21013 pp. 18-21.

    As. Mr. Jarnes explains in his prologue, this question has been examined, debated for close to 2,000 years by many a theologian.

    However, as J.B. I know that there's still much confusion of the topic of the Holy Spirit, even within the ADS church members.  Some within hold that the Holy Spirit, is not a person, but the Spirit of God, ONLY! Well, if this is so, please explain these passages: 

        Psalms 51:11  "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."           Matthew 28:19  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"                                                                                                                      John 14:16-17  "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."      

      Note: I count four (4) pronouns in John's passage, as HE. This is a personal pronoun,j used only regarding a individual, and NOT used to describe a force, but a Divine Being!   But lets get back to this article.

     Last October, my wife and I spent a weekend with our daughter and her family, to celebrate two birthdays..... our granddaughter's third an my.... well that number isn't essential to this story.
     We had all piled into a van and gone out to enjoy the fall day. On the way back to my daughter's house, I noticed the black cats and witches and spiderwebs with which some people, anticipating Halloween, had already decorated their years. Seeing a particularly spooky ghost mounted on the side of a house, I assumed my scariest quavery voice and stared to call my grandchildren attention to it.
     Before I could say any more than a word or two my daughter cut me off, warning that if my granddaughter saw that ghost, someone would have to stand guard by her bedroom door for hours that night.
      Halloween's ghosts are scary things... supernatural and other-worldly, and more often than not, downright evil. Why in the world then, is the Third member of the Godhead [David used the word Trinity] called the "Holy Ghost" (mostly in the KJV and other older versions) ?  Should the emphasis be Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit? The two words don't seem to belong to each other.
     Another word for ghost is spirit, which isn't as spooky but still close. We commonly think of bot spirits and ghost as wispy, ethereal beings that skulk around invisibly and reveal themselves only when they want to, And often when they do, someone gets hurt.
     Is the Holy Spirit some kind of a faceless divine power we can't relate to?
     In both the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek, the words translated as "ghost" and "spirit" can also be translated as "breath" and "wind." For example, Genesis 2, describing the creation of the first human being, [Adam] in these simple terms:
     Genesis 2:7  "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The Hebrew word Neshamah, translated as "breath",
in this verse is the same word translated as "wind" and "spirit", in other places.
    It would seem, that's what Jesus conveyed in this story to Nicodemus.....
     John 3:5-6  "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
    He compared the Spirit to wind. He said that just as the wind goes wherever it wants to and no one can control it, so the Spirit takes us to places we never have thought of going without His guidance. Vs.8
     John 3:8  "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

     Please, note, that I said, "His guidance," The Greek word for "spirit" ( pheuma) is of a neuter gender, so technically [ (jb) by proper grammar]  the Spirit should have called an "IT". But the writers {GOD USED} for the New Book all used "HE" and "HIS" to refer to the Holy Spirit, as in John 16:7 and Romans 8:26-27.
      John 16:7-8  "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
       Romans 8:26-27   "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
    I think they're telling us that despite the fact that the word spirit suggests something that is less that a real deity, a personal being, the Holy Spirit is every bit as much a Person as re the Father and the Son. In fact, speaking of God the Father, Jesus said that "God is spirit" John 4:24. The Bible certainly pictures the Father as a Person, and the Holy Spirit has the same essence as the Father. If the Father can be fully both a Spirit and a Person, then so can the Holy Spirit.
     The ceremony through which people proclaim their (jb Public) commitment as Christians gives the Holy Spirit equal terms as the other members of the Godhead...
       Matthew 28:19 . "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
     Can you, dear reader, see any distinction here between the Father and the Holy Spirit?
      Plus notice this, from the then Church leaders of the Christian Church....in a letter.....
      Acts 15:28  "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;"
      Plus Paul told the Corinthians that he was praying that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all...
     2 Corinthians 13:14  "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
     Would not both both seem proper ONLY while addressing a genuine Person? Rather that some force?
    In the Holy Bible, { (jb) IF one accepts it as from God, via His chosen servants the writers] the Holy Spirit is pictures as contending..Gen. 6:3
      AS: CONTENDING:
     Genesis 6:3  "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."
     AS: TEACHING:
      Luke 12:12  "For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."
     AS- CONVICTING:
     John 16:8  "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of      judgment:"
     AS..DIRECTING: THE CHURCH
     Acts 13:2  "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."    (jb a force that thinks and speaks?)
     AS HELPING:
     Romans 8:26   "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
     AS- INSPIRING:
     1 Peter 1:21  "Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."
(JB "Who by HIM do believe in God..." Question how think you, that an impersonal thing as a 'force' can make one believe anything?
      AS SANCTIFYING:
     1 Peter 1:2  "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
NOTE (JB) Sanctification, is the gradual changing of a believer's character, into becoming more and more as the character of Christ. SO HOW, can a impersonal force do this? But a Divine Person as the Holy Spirit can and DOES! I know, I can remember what I used to be like!
    These are not the activities of some impersonal force. They imply independent intelligence, will and personality, do they not? The Holy Spirit is a real Divine Peron in His own right!  In point of fact, WHEN you study the Bible, you'll realize that what it says about who the Holy Spirit is, and what He does , makes sense ONLY if He has omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and all the other characteristics of divinity---including that of Person hood.

     Luke 12:10  "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."

Note (jb)  This word Blasphemy , in other translations the word evil is used, so I ask my friends in the J.W. faith, how can we possibly insult, or speak or use evils against a force? Just asking!

     From the perspective of years of study, within the Holy Bible, many have come to the conclusion that the WORK, of the Holy Spirit can be fitted into two categories:
1. He leads people to Jesus Christ.
2. He helps people to stay true to their commitment to Him.  


     It IS only by people who feel their Spiritual need, who will turn to Christ. Thus by His turning the world of guilt in regard top sin and righteousness and judgment   { John 16:18} that the Holy Spirit makes people feel this need. As Paul spoke in ..
     1 Corinthians 12:3  "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."
     Therefore, the Holy Spirit is essential, in His role convicting people of a deeper need, that Christ only is able to fill.

     (jb) Please allow me the digression of telling David's Story, by this passage first:
      John 14:1-3  "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Now here's David:  "Several children, playing in the front room, noticed their Mon, putting on her coat, while heading to the front door. One child asks, "Where are you going "?
     "I am going to my Father's house, to prepare a place for you"
      "Can we go with you?"
      "Not now, but I will come back and take you to be with me."
       "How long will you be gone?"
      "Just a little while"
       "Who will take care of us while you're gone?"

     Now, that was, and is THE key question, agree? The disciples also asked Jesus that same basic question of their concern, and Jesus answered....

     John 14:16-17  "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

     James Somerville, the man from whom this illustration came, said, "I don't know that the Holy Spirit has ever been compared to a babysitter. But if YOU can picture Christ as a mother, then it may not be so hard to imagine the Spirit in this role, as The One who cares for the Church in the interim between Jesus' departure and return, as One Who comforts, and yes sometimes even romps with the sons and daughters of God.
     Jesus' promise to His disciples is a promise to us also. He may not be physically and visibly present with us, but through the Holy Spirit we can  have the benefits of Jesus' divine guidance and teachings just as surely as did those who followed Him when He walked on this earth.
     And Jesus said that while we wait for His return, far from scaring us, the Holy Spirit will be our Comforter,. He substitutes for Jesus in the interim. Therefore He must be a Person just like Jesus.

  (jb) Yet unlike Jesus, who left Heaven to be be born of flesh woman, as flesh men and women, Christ Jesus is still a flesh man in body, Glorified yes but as the Just shall be also! Flesh can only be in one place at any one time, Yet a Person who is a Spirit being as is the Father, can be everywhere at the same time, flesh can not! That's God's purpose for this His "Office" for the Holy Spirit!

Need more info?
Visit your Seventh day Adventist Church any Saturday/Sabbath @ 9:15 AM You just might be very glad you did.

Questions?.........................Comments?
www.servant@frontier.com

www.blbn.org          www.amazingfacts.org/
Thanking YOU for your time
john B.
   

Sunday, November 24, 2013

"CAN YOU SEE"? (Based upon) Pastor Toni Rodriguez Jr.' Sermon of11/23'13

      PLEASE, TURN TO THE BOOK OF JOHN  CHAPTER 9, WITH ME.

     John 9:1  "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth."

      Please, to not ever think, this meeting was purely by chance, as you will learn.
      John 9:2-3  ?And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
   
Note: Now, do not, begin to question our Creator, nor His methods, just remember that we of common flesh bodies, are on this earth, to be tested, by trails, in order to develop both patience, further our character, to be as Jesus Christ, in thoughts, in deeds! Notice that in those days, and even to this day, there are those, who if anything bad happens, it was caused by sin,!  Just read the above verse again for the reasons!
     Know also, that contrary to the "Common Views", of today, GOD is still in the miracle business every day!

    This 9th chapter can be broken down into several sections as follows:
From verse 1 to 7 we find Jesus' miracle
(a) 8-12.- we have conversations of those who knew him
(b) 13-17: we are introduced to some of the Temple leaders
(c) 18-21; here the Jewish leaders call the ex-blind man's parents, and grill them
(d) 22-23. Fearful parents tell the leaders, "He is of age, you ask him"
(e) 24-33 The man, now becomes a witness for Jesus, esp. in 33.
(f) 34. steeped in their human traditions, they rejected his explanation, and they "cast him out".
(g) 35-38. Christ finds and speaks to the healed man
(h) 39-41. Christ speak to the Pharisees, and sadly his description of them, fits many people today!

Verses 1-7 :

     John 9:4-7 " I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing."
Note: Note, Jesus gives us a sense of urgency, that He and we today , must work while it is yet light, does this refer to these passages?
      Jeremiah 4:23-25 " I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.Revelation 20:1-3  "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."
Note: Both these passages denote the very same time frame, the Beginning of the 1,000 years, the Millennium Age, beginning at Christ's return! Read of this in the last three chapters of Revelation!

(a) John 9:8-11  "The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight."

Note: As best scholars know, the blind man had to travel  about 800 yards to reach this pool, and wash of the mud. Now can you imagine all the questions he was asked, about the WHY, he was walking about with his eyes smeared with mud?
     John 9:13  "They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind."

       (b) John 9:14-17. "And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet."

Note: Is it suffice to say that the over time, the Temple Leaders, had written some 500+ Sabbath Laws? Is this the why of.....
      Matthew 23:2-4  "Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."
Note: "..sit in Moses'' seat" Moses was the "Law Giver"  meaning they added all these laws that are "Grievous and Heavy burdens" for mankind to bear!  "Traditions of men"
     Mark 7:8-9  "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. "
Note: Human traditions, how many can YOU name? Sunday for Sabbath worship, die and go right to heaven? Both find no support in the Bible. yet there are many more!

       (c) John 9:18-21 " But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself."
Note: The Temple leaders believed, that "Their " Messiah" or "Christ" in the Greek, would come as a conquering King, drive out the hated Romans, and free them and their nation! Therefore they did not, then nor now, accept Jesus as their Savior! thus.....
      Luke 13:35  "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
      Note: (jb) So as as nation, they hold no more weight than any other other nation before God, but ALL people, as individuals, can still come to Him in repented acceptance!  That's why the "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord"! 
   
     (d) John 9:22-23 " These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him."
Note: Out of fear, of being "kicked-out"  and not allowed to attend Temple services, they verbally washed their hands of the whole thing.

     (e) John 9:24-33  "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.  He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing."

Note: Can you, dear reader, discern, that the man, whose sight was restored, the one who from birth lived in darkness, is now becoming a witness for Christ?   Did you also know the Jesus was very confrontational with the Temple leaders? He knew of their very strict and burdensome laws regarding the Sabbath rest, [by the way Sabbath rest just means Rest- rest, as Sabbath means rest ---In Christ!]

     (f) John 9:34  "They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out."
Note: Does this not show just how steeped they were in their traditions, that they could not accept that which was plainly in front of them? I mean who can heal the sick, but a true man of God, who through that person, then heals the sick?

     (g) John 9:35-38 " Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him."
Note: Jesus sought him out, and asked him if he believed in the Messiah, and remember what the man asked of Jesus? Then what did he do?

    (h)  John 9:39-41 " And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remains."

Note. Sadly much of the "Christian world", is blind today, "Spiritually Blind", because of false teachings, and let's face it, Biblical Ignorance! I am ignorant of many things, brain surgery, rocket science are but a few examples, but they have nothing to do with salvation, agree?

Conclusion:
     Come to Christ, what have YOU to lose, yet eternal life to gain! Plus what price can anyone put on the fullest and truest "Peace of Mind"?

Want more knowledge? Visit a Seventh day Adventist Church, any Saturday/Sabbath @ 9:15 Am. You just may be very glad you did.

Questions?..............................Comments?
wwwservant@frontier.com
Thank YOU for your time
john b.

wwwblbn.org  try this site OK?
Thanks.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

CLOSER THAN ANGELS?

      WHERE DO THOSE, WHO HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST, WHOLLY, AND WITH LOVING OBEDIENCE FIT IN GOD'S KINGDOM?

      Many are somewhat familiar with the story of Job, and the heart-wrenching problems he endured, all because Satan wanted to prove a point. He was allowed to go so far, and nor further by God. This was for our learning, an example to show we each can put our fullest trust in God, no matter what.
     For those who may not know the story, that Job withstood all the devil, Satan hurled at him, in his efforts to get Job to curse God, he failed to have Job do this, but let's get to the heart of the story and learn a few of the Questions God asked of Job, in the aftermath.
     Job 38:1-7  "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.  Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.  Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;  When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

     So, who are those who faced God and sang with Him, the Morning Stars?
     Revelation 1:20  "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches."

    There are but two kinds, people on this earth. They are differentiated by which power they serve, the Power of Light, or the power of Darkness. The Light is God and His truth, the Dark is Satan and his lies and deceptions. Here's what Jesus said...
     John 8:43-45  "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not."

Note: I have given witness of Christ, to people, some listen and are willing to learn, while others refuse to hear, and walk away, content, with where they are in the river of life. These, who refuse Christ, are by their choice, children of Darkness, who  have allowed...yes allowed Satan to be their ruler.

Please turn to Luke 3:23 and read all the rest of it, and see the generational connection to Adam.
     Luke 3:38  "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God."
Note: Adam then was the Son of God! Therefore, [ask why is it there?] as Adam and Eve were our first parents, we also, are sons and daughters of the living God, agree?  Turn to Job 1.

      Job 1:6  "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them."

NOTE! Sons of God, but Satan was also there, though not ever called a Son of God. So what was this meeting? Adam was given dominion of earth, [Genesis 1:28] but a King is in charge of his Domain, thus dominion right? Al least, until Adan sinned, and by that means Satan inherited ruler-ship of this earth, thus he was there at the Universe "board"? meeting?   But. . .but "Other worlds"?
   Hebrews 1:1-2. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
    Hebrews 11:3  "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
Note:  YES man knows much, but man does NOT know everything, about everything, for if man did, we would not be in the mess we are in, world-wide! Satan STILL RULES, this world yet today and so shall he, until Christ Returns!

    This leaves to Stars of the Morning, who are they and where are they?
   
    Revelation 12:4  "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."
Note: Stars then, are God's Holy Angels, for if they were actual stars, our sun is a rather small star, yet one million earths will fit within it., so if 1/3 of all stars were to hit earth, guess what? Now if YOU have any doubts about Satan's deceiving abilities, angels are wiser than we, yet he did fool 1/3 of them, so what makes nay on use think we can fight Satan, and win? Remember man's saying, "If you want to dine with the devil, be sure to have a long, long spoon"?
     The 1/3 "fallen stars", are those most call demons, that in the Hebrew are called Nephiyl meaning fallen, untimely, even the term abortion.

Now, re-read Job 1:7 and take notice of the order beings are spoken about. Angels are mentioned first, right? Then the Sons of God, as second, those who are kings of other worlds, meaning *we humans are last.*
Please place this into your memory bank
   Is this the why of David's question?
    Psalms 8:4  "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"
He, David, was given this answer to give to mankind....

     Psalms 8:5  "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor."
 Note: God builds His information' s story, much like an onion's layer upon layer, look at what He had Paul write.
   
Hebrews 2:7 " Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:"
NOTE:* This word "Little", but the word Paul was led to use was the Greek word, "Brachus [brakh-ooce']
#1024 in the Strong's Concordance meaning in a little while, a short time, a while.! Thus we are lower than the angles but only for a short time, until Jesus' Second Coming, when He comes for those who are His own!*
   So, dear readers, can YOU begin to see the fuller picture that God has already painted for us, those who in love for Him and Christ, are willing to obey? While Satan and his and his "Allies of mankind' are moving father and farther away from the Heart of God, all this with Jesus in their hearts, are moving ever closer. Can you now begin to understand the focal point of Satan's anger and hate, is towards Heaven and those who live life like they'd want to got there? Please remember much of what God gets the blame for is si done by the power of Satan, including the natural disasters!

    However, this is NOT a final conclusion to this chain of thought, turn to 1 John 1:3...
     1 John 1:3-4  "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
     So, what type and depth of a relationship does God seek with humans, those who have chosen to obey and fallow His Son's example in their daily life?

     Revelation 19:9  "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
    Note: How does God view marriage?
     Hosea 2:19-20  "And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD."

Yes, in Genesis 2:24 we have the "One flesh" concept, but due the fact all there shall have eternal life, there'll be no need for procreation to maintain any species of life, period! but rather as...in the red below..
     John 17:11  "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."

** first shall be last" remember?   Look....
     Matthew 19:30  "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
NOTE* Remember also the term Bachus , meaning for a little while? When as God, who has existed for forever to forever, [ the Hebrew idea for eternity], what 's the meaning of time, or even 6,000 years?  There's still more to God's gift for you and me.

     Matthew 5:5  "Blessed are the meek: [humble] for they shall inherit the earth."
     Matthew 25:34  "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"
     1 Peter 3:9  "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."

     What Blessing?
     Revelation 21:7  "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
     Note: This includes not only sons but also daughters, to be within the Family of God!   Satan does not fare nearly so well, he has since the cross been banned from Heaven,, and lost his inheritance for all tine, in fact shall be cast into the Lake of Fire {Rev.19] along with all other that disobey, along with both death and sin, to be reduced to ashes, and be no more, evermore.

Back to inheritance...
     Hebrews 1:1-2  "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"
    So, God bequeathed all, to Christ, right?
    Romans 8:16-17  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
   
     Revelation 21:7  "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
   Overcome what? In a word. . .sin.
    Revelation 3:20-22  "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Why, can all those who have fully surrendered their will unto God, would He do all this things?
LOVE, Remember what humans did to His Son, God allowed Him to be tortured and killed, for our sake. Christ took the stripes, and we received the healing! Any parent who has punished their child, knows it hurts them even more than the child, right? Think about it!

He created us, because He is love, but love is not static, it must be given away, before we can receive it back!

1 John 4:1  "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Conclusion: Those who "IN CHRIST", are closer to God' heart that even His Holy Angels!

How close do YOU think YOU are?

My Thanks to Pastor Christian Martin, for this theme's outline.

Need more? Visit your Seventh day Adventist Church, any Sabbath?Saturday
29:15 AM. You just might be very glad you did!

Questions?..................Comments?
www.servant@frontier.com
Other site worthy wwwblbn.org.  www.amazingfacts.orh.

Thank YOU for your time
john B


   




Thursday, November 7, 2013

L 16. "WINNING IN COURT" How 2 B Victorious in Court"

    Not many would disagree with this general statement: "Ideas and actions, brings consequences, to us."

       Sampson Parker, of Kershaw County, South Carolina, had to make a tough decision. Climbing down from his tractor to free a cornstalk, that plugged up his corn harvester. Parker managed to get his hand stuck in the machinery. All alone and unable to free himself, he tried to reach the off switch for the corn harvester, but was not able.
    Parker's hand soon went numb, and he knew that he desperately needed to free himself, from this running machine, before it pulled him all the way in.  That's when he made the decision to cut of his own fingers in order to save himself. He pulled out his trusty John Deere pocket knife and started the job, but before he could get very far, the machine caught on fire. The fire, spreading quickly, and soon his arm began to burn.
    "My skin was melting, it was dripping off my arm like plastic, plastic melting I realized I was in big trouble," he latter told reporters.
     Not wanting to die, Parker quickly made a "Life or limb" decision and started to cut off his right arm. He was able to complete this task, cutting through all the flesh and the bone. He then drove home in his truck, where a local fireman wrapped up
    Peter, survived. He was able to get hi,self out of an almost impossible trap. Do YOU know that the devil has similar traps set for all The Bible tells us that all have sinned and the wages of sin is death..[Romans 6:23] How then cam we escape this seemingly impossible trap?

1. How many must stand before God's Judgment throne?
     2 Corinthians 5:10  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
Note: It is our RECORDS, that shall stand, not humans in person. This gives an account for our life. As all have sinned and come short of God's glory, all have seemingly fallen into Satan's trap. Biblically there's only one person, who lived on this earth that was sin free.

2. So, who was the ONLY person to ever escape the traps of sin?
    Hebrews 4:14-16  "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
     Romans 3:23 " For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Note The ONE, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth as a flesh baby, seeking to save us, the lost!

3. What kind of traps did Jesus face while on this earth?
      Matthew 22:15  "Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk."
Note: Jesus was most fiercely opposed by the religious leaders, then as NOW, yet they had many, many fore-telling in the Bible,'s Old Testament, about His coming, as The Messiah, and even the very month and year His Ministry began! His own people tried the hardest, including day by day new schemes. They, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, scribes, lawyers, chief priests and even the local Romans were constantly attacking Jesus and setting traps for Him. We all should be amazed to learn that HE was able to perform His Ministry with such perfection, under these conditions!

4. What kind of traps did the Pharisees set for Jesus?
     Matthew 22:17  "Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?"
Note: The Pharisees, one of the most strictest religious sects, in the Jewish leadership, thought to trap Jesus on the question of Tribute, or tax. Being under Roman control, the Pharisees believed it was Biblcally unlawful to pay taxes to Rome, because the land they occupied was "Given" to them by God. Himself. If Jesus had given a "YES" it is lawful to pay taxes to Rome, then they would be able to discredit Him before the people. They could have said, HE does NOT support their claim to independent ownership if Israel.
     But is Jesus has said NO, it is not lawful to pay the tax, they would have gleefully reported Him to the Roman's who would arrest Him for TAX EVASION., along with other such "Rebels".
    They thought they had Him trapped wither way!

5. How did Jesus get Himself out of the Pharisee's trap?
      Matthew 22:18-21  "But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.  And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?  They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
Note: See the wisdom of Christ? He refused to give a yes or no answer, instead gave us a lesson about paying taxes, and gift offerings. IF it belongs to Caesar, pay it. If if belongs to God, then give it to God in tithes and love offerings. Pay what is due and to who it is due.

6. Who else tried to catch Jesus in a trap?
     Matthew 22:23  "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, "
Note: After the Pharisees failed, the Sadducees, tied their hand. They were a pious group of leaders who had a peculiar belief they wanted to prove correct. They believed that there was no resurrection of the dead! [How sad right? No wonder for their name!]

7. How did the Sadducees intend to trap Jesus?
     Matthew 22:22-28  "When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.  And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her."
Note: Thinking they would trap Him on the issue of the resurrection, they tried to discredit Jesus' teaching that the dead will someday be raised back to life. They though Jesus would be at a loss of words, when trying to make Moses' law compatible with the idea of a resurrection.

8. How, then did HE, Jesus get Himself out of the Sadducees' trap?
     Matthew 22:29-30  "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
Note: Jesus pointed out the error in their trap and the error in their belief about the resurrection. None will marry or be given in marriage in the New Earth, as per Jesus. So their question was irrelevant, having no foundation of truth. Jesus continued to pint out that the Scriptures clearly teach that God's people who have died are only dead temporarily, as they await the resurrection day!

    Well we have seen Jesus get Himself out of the few traps, but can He get someone else out of a trap? More to the point, can He get YOU and ME out of traps? 

9. Are there examples of Jesus getting someone else out from a trap?
     John 8:3-5. "And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Note: After setting this woman up, they rushed in "catching her in the act of adultery", they brought her to Jesus. They hoped to have Him pronounce judgment upon her. If He refused, they would accuse Him of being against God's Law. If He said yes, and they stoned her, they would have happily reported Him to the Romans for illegally pronouncing the death sentence.

10. Again, how did He get Himself out from their trap?
      John 8:7  "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
Note: Rather than pronounce sentence upon the woman, Jesus invited the accuser, who was without sin, to cast the first stone. He did NOT deny the law, and say adultery was OK. Instead, he turned on the accusers, making them as guilty as the woman.

11. How did HE get the woman out from their trap?
     John 8:8-9  "And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."
Note: When Jesus stooped down and write in the dust, He apparently wrote the guilty secrets of the accuser's own lives. As they watched Him write, they went OUT one by one until they were all gone. ,The accusers had become accused. They must have known they were in the presence of God, and it was now judgment day for them!

12. Now that the accusers were gone, did Jesus condemn the woman for her sin?
     John 8:10.  "When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

NOTE: PLEASE learn and know, that Jesus gave His live for you and me, and wants NONE to perish, but all come to repentance. Yet even that is a Gift from above, as Jesus wants to forgive, rather than Condemn,. He wants to save rather than as Satan destroy. This is the why He came to this earth, as a babe, to save us from our sins.

13. After all this what commission did Jesus give this woman?
     John 8:11   "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
NOTE: Not only does HE want to forgive us all, of all sins, He wants to give us each, His power, to overcome all sin, so live sinless. The plan of Salvation involves both saving fallen humanity and ridding the universe of sin, once and for all time.

14. How can Jesus get me. . .out of a trap?
      Hebrews 7:25 " Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
     Romans 3:22-23  "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
      Romans 6:23  "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

THE WOMAN represents you and me!
THE ACCUSERS represents the devil Satan, that old dragon. 
THE ENCOUNTER, is symbolic of the judgment we each shall face by our Heavenly Records.

Just as a lie is lie, no matter the size nor the color, a sin is still a sin, no matter the size! So how can we pass judgment?

15. How cam I be victorious like the woman in the judgment?
      Jeremiah 31:34  "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
NOTE: If, we want to be able to pass God's Judgment, we MUST do as this woman did. Be placed at the feet of Jesus and stay there, She did not deny the accusations, we are to confess our sins, thus they are TRANSFERRED to God, to carry rather than we ourselves. Prayer mornings before leaving our bedrooms, and prayers just before retiring for the night, and before all meals, give thanks and ask for the foods, given to be eaten, to be a blessing.
To hear the "Voice of God" read His Word daily, for Christ is our daily bread. so eat of day by day! While, asking prayerfully, for the refreshing input from the Holy Spirit to guide us to all truths! Above all we each must surrender to His will, as in dying to self for Christ is living within us.
     1 Corinthians 15:31  "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."

Would YOU be willing to totally surrender to Christ, and do and live, as He set the path for us all?
Then YOU will be willing to allow Jesus to make YOU victorious!

THEN i HUMBLY SAY TO  Y  O U "Let's agree to meet on the 3rd Sabbath under the right side of the Tree of Life, at 3 PM.

This is the last lesson of this series, from Biblestudy@desiremedia.org
My thanks to the Cole family for allowing me to use their material, for we both have but one goal, to be witness for Christ!

Need More? Visit a Seventh day Adventist Church, any Saturday/Sabbath @ 9:15 AM. You just might be very pleasantly surprised at your welcome.

Questions?.......................Comments?
www.servant@frontier.com.

other sites of interest:
www.bonesinstone.com         wwwservantsite@wordpress.com     www,blbn.org
      







     

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

L. 15. GOD' S HEALTH PLAN- HE CARES WHAT WE EAT.

       IN A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE study sponsored by the U.S. Government, Dan Buettner researches three  regions in the world, where people live the longest lives.  He called these regions Blue Zones. One of these Blue Zones, is a religious community in Southern California called Loma Linda.
      Loma Linda is a city that is home to the largest concentration of Seventh day Adventists in the world. As a result of the research and many studies, Dan learned that Seventh day Adventists live, on the average about 10 years longer than the rest of the U.S. population. What is their secret for this fact?
    Dan, who is not an Adventist, summarized his findings into three categories.FIRST- he says they take their diet plan directly from the Bible [Genesis 1 & 2.] where it gives man a plant based diet of fruits, nuts and vegetables.SECONDLY - they take a 24 hour period each week, from sundown Friday, until sundown Saturday, and devote it to rest , time with God and with family. THIRDLY- most of them abstain from meat, and animal products, alcohol, tobacco, and make physical activity a way of life.
     We have already covered the spending of quality time with God on HIS Holy day, the Sabbath day, but does the Bible say about a special health plan, that can give us a longer amount of time on this earth?

1. Does the Holy Bible have a plan for our health?
      3 John 1:2  "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth"
     Revelation 2:7 " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

Note: One of the most important teachings in the Bible, is that Our Father-God, wants us to be in thje the best of health, physically as well as spiritually. God plans for us to eat the Fruit from the Tree of Life, someday. Fruit in one of the healthiest forms of nourishment that our bodies can get.

2. What was GOD' s original diet plan for mankind?
     Genesis 1:29  "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."

Note, please the very next verse,
     Genesis 1:30. "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. "
Note: So much for those who say, many were, meat-eaters, due to the spike teeth! Well ever see the mouth and teeth of the fruit bats? They are every bit as "mean-looking" as the T-Rex, only much smaller. God;s plan, in the beginning, was for man to eat fruit. This included a wide variety of foods. A fruit is the product of the blossom on a plant.

3. What changed after Adam and Eve sinned?
      Genesis 3:18  "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;"
Note: After sin, God gave them the HERB, of the field. This they had to do with hard labor, to prepare the soil for seed, and the to tend, and to harvest the vegetables they had to grow, as an addition to their diet.

4. When were flesh foods allowed into man's diet?
     Genesis 9:3  "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things."
Note: This was AFTER the Flood, that God allowed animals to be food for man. When Noah first got our of the Ark, there were no gardens to supply food, him and his family.

5. BUT, did God intend for man to eat any kind of animal?
      Genesis 7:2  "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female."
Note: God made a difference between CLEAN and UNCLEAN animals. Noah was provided with seven clean animals, but only two of the unclean, right?If, Noah had eaten but one of the unclean, species, that species would be extinct!

6. How did God distinguish clean from unclean?
       Leviticus 11:47 " To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."
Note: The Bible speaks to a difference between the clean and not clean animals, and puts them into three distinctions:
(1) LAND ANIMALS: Leviticus 11:3  "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat."
     Splits the hoof, and a plant eater, herbivores, thus has a multi-section stomach, and chews the cud.
(2). Water Life-forms:Leviticus 11:12 " Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you."
        Therefore, if it has not BOTH scales and fins, it's part and parcel for His Sanitation crew! Meaning, crabs, shrimp, lobster and shell fish, are scavengers, they eat what ever comes along, just as catfish do!
(3). Birds. Leviticus 11:13-19  "And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow,[cuckoo] and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat."
      Foraging birds--chicken, quail, turkey, and, duck are clean. Birds of prey are not, besides who want a Vulture-breast sandwich?

7. What other restrictions did God give us about meat eating?
     Genesis 9:4  "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. "
     Leviticus 3:17 " It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood."
Note: Much of what is of a danger to life, IF it does not kill life that ate it, gets stored into the fat of the the animals!In the blood, if there is a any disease present in any animal, it is also in the blood! Fat is the why Pigs can handle most snake bites, because the venom stays locked in the fat, and if it can it will kill and eat the snake!, even while it's biting!
NOTE 2. Today there are very few Kosher slaughter houses, which fully drain all the blood, from any animal. See the reason for the "Blotters" under the meat, that is packaged? Does this include "Blood Sausage and Blood Puddings"  YES!  Do you know of  a Tribe in Africa, that blood from a living cow is used as the primary food? They have a great many heart problems and strokes, all at a quite young age, 40 -50 yrs old!

8. Does God call it a serious offense to eat unclean foods?
      1 Corinthians 3:16-17 " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are "
      Isaiah 66:17  "They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD."
      1 Corinthians 6:19-20  "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's"

Note: If we defile this temple of God's , our bodies, God will destroy us. Of all the unclean animals it is the Pig, the hog, the swine, or all Pork meats, is the most spoken ill of, and He'll consume us { God is  a living fire in that sense] for OUR eating of swine and mouse is an abomination to Him.

9. What is the ideal Bible diet?
     Daniel 1:12 " Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.."
    Daniel 1:15  "And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat."
    Daniel 1:20-21  "And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.  And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus."

Note: Rather that to disobey GOD, and eat from the King's table, and drink his wine, they asked to be proven by eating Pulse [vegetables] and drink water. For a ten day test, and see if they not locked healthier and had clearer minds than those who sat and ate with the king. They not only looked fairer [more healthy] but ended up ten times the wiser, than the men who worked for the king.

10. What does the Bible say about alcohol?
      Proverbs 20:1 " Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
      Proverbs 23:31-32 " Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."
NOTE: Wine is a mocker, a deceiver. The Bible speaks to two types of wine, by the same word YAYIN. It calls both grape juice and the fermented juice, yayin-wine. It even says, that we should not even look upon any wine that moves by itself, by the presence of gas bubbles, found only after fermentation. Isaiah 65:8  "Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all".
Note: Wine is NOT found in clusters agree?

11. What about tobacco use, caffeine, and other harmful drugs?
     1 Corinthians 6:19-20  "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
    1 Corinthians 10:31  "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
Note: Your BODY is the temple, or the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Thus we are told that in every thing we do, eat, or drink, we should to it all to the Glory of God. Nicotine and caffeine, are legal, yes, but both are addictive, harmful to the our bodies, thus enslaving us to them with habits hard to break.

12. BUT. . . .but God cleanse all animals in Acts 10?
      Acts 10:13-14  "And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean."
     Acts 10:28  "And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean."

Note: As all can see plainly, Peter was NOT told all were clean, but only humans were NOT to be called nor held as common nor unclean, as was the Jewish custom of the day!

13. OK, but did not 1 Timothy 4 say that no meat is to be refused?
     1 Timothy 4:2-3  "Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."
Note: the dangers of using one verse in isolation, when there are more than a few, that are also dealing with this topic in Leviticus 11 for example.. To hold all all meat is A OK, misses the points given... " which God has created to be received..." ! Now did God tells us anywhere, that the unclean are to be received as meats, even with thanksgiving?  NO! We must keep subject and object in line with each other.Remember He created plants, seeds and fruits to be received, latter clean animals!......
     1 Timothy 4:4-5  "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
NOTE: Animals for meat/food, were ONLY those who are listed as CLEAN. Prayers from us over pork, will NOT make it a chicken breast, the "Other White Meat"!

14. ARE BIBLE HEALTH PRINCIPLES PRACTICAL, YET TODAY?
(A) Leviticus 13:46. Quarantine procedures control contagious diseases
(B) Deuteronomy 23:12-13. Human body waste should be buried, away from camps.
(C) Leviticus 17:15-16. Washing body & clothing, controls germs.
(D) Lev.18; Proverbs 5:1-12; Colossians 3:5,6. Moral living prevents sexual diseases.
(E) Lev. 3:17; 7:22-24. Animal fat should NOT be eaten.
(F) Lev. 19:17-18; Prov. 15:17; Hebrews 12:14-15. Hatred-Bitterness is detrimental to one's health.
(G) Prov. 23:2. Overeating is harmful.
(H) Psalm 127:2; Mark 6:31. Our bodies need proper rest.
(I) Exodus 20:910: 2 Thessalonians 3:10. The importance of work.
(J) Prov. 17:22 1 Timothy 6:6. A positive attitude is good medicine.
(k) Deut. 12:25; Exo. 20:5. Parents' habits affect their children.

15. Does God really care that we have healthy bodies?
     Romans 12:1 " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Note: A healthy body means a healthy mind. God wants to speak to our minds, via the Holy Spirit. He wants us to be able to hear and understand His voice. {Does GOD not speak to us within the Bible?} With a healthy mind and body we are better able to hear and respond to His leading us. That's the why back of the "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice unto God!
ARE YOU WILLING TO FOLLOW GOD'S HEALTH PLAN FOR YOURSELF?  After all is it not best to follow the "Manufacturer's" advice for our care and feeding?

NEXT: Winning in Court. or How can we be victorious in the Judgment?

Wish more info? Visit your Seventh day Adventist Church any Sabbath/Saturday @ 9:15 AM. You just may be very glad you did

Questions?.......................Comments?
www.servant@frontier.com
john.

other sites of value.
www.blbn.org      www.amazingfacts .org      www.amazingdiscoveries.org.




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