1/10/15

From Ed Healy... Seven Things to Consider!




Seven Things to Consider!
 
In my studies I have noticed that there are many different approaches to the scriptures, religion, faith, etc. People have different principles they understand to be true and thus have different foundations upon which their faith system is built.

Sometimes people claim or seem to have great knowledge about the Scriptures. They may be able to discuss all the historical data about the Christian Faith. They may have skills in the original languages, be able to divide all the words and phrases into proper formation according to proper rules.

However, I have observed also that this wonderful ability can become an obstacle to understanding the message intended by the author. There are some simple facts that are true. I believe that anyone can understand the message of the Bible and, with that understanding, have hope in facing all of life's ups and downs.
  1. There is a creator who is God in heaven.
     
  2. This God has three persons manifested to the creation as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
     
  3. God revealed Himself through divine revelation.
     
  4. This revelation came by the Holy Spirit to mankind through the prophets who were to proclaim the word of God.
     
  5. The purpose of this revelation was to inform mankind about the wisdom of God.
     
  6. The goal of this wisdom is to generate faith, and this faith is what gives hope of eternal life.
     
  7. The message is clear, simple, understandable and yet profound. To those who will believe, it gives birth to eternal life. But, to those who will not believe….

Some questions each person must consider:

Where is the source of real truth?

What will we put our faith in?

When will we begin?

From Jim McGuiggan... Why Does Faith Save?


Why Does Faith Save?

Faith doesn't save in the same way God saves. God alone is the saviour and faith is the instrumental means by which his salvation comes to us. Faith is the work of God (Philippians 1:29 and elsewhere) but it is personal to the individual. That is, the sinner's faith is the sinner's faith and not God's. It is the sinner who does the trusting and submitting that result in salvation. However many instruments God uses in bringing the sinner to saving faith it is the sinner who does the believing and the trusting and the obeying. The sinner will not take the credit for any of this as if he had virtue enough to respond to God without God giving him aid. Just the same, when God has completed his holy loving work the sinner has freely given himself to God. In short, God doesn't coerce the sinner and the sinner by God's grace is personally involved in the process of his salvation. The sinner places his faith in God who saves him.

Faith saves the sinner because it is a confession that he cannot deal with his sin problem and must wholly rely on God to bring reconciliation and life. Faith points away from the sinner and points to God the saviour. Ask the believer, "Who saved you?" and because he has faith he points away from himself to someone else!

Faith saves the sinner because it rests on the work of reconciliation that God accomplished in the Christ who went to the cross to bear our sins. Faith says that the sin problem was not dealt with by his own goodness, much or little, but by God who reconciled the world to himself in Jesus Christ. So faith not only confesses a total reliance on God to forgive and save, it confesses a total reliance on the God who bore the sins of the world on the cross. In resting on that God and that work the sinner doesn't have to (and does't want to) rest on his own virtue or obedience or his own faith. This is what faith confesses and that is why it saves.

Faith saves the sinner because faith gives God the homage that is due to him. Sinners need to understand that God doesn't call people "righteous" when they are impenitent in their evil. They also need to understand that God cannot fellowship those who insist on living in darkness and being darkness (Ephesians 5:8-9). If a person is in fellowship with God he must be righteous. But how does he stand righteous before God? In and only in Jesus Christ. Yes but how does the sinner gain that righteousness that is found only in Jesus Christ? He gains it by faith. Without faith he doesn't gain that righteousness which is found in Christ alone. But why is it that faith gains that righteousness that enables the sinner to live in fellowship with God? Because faith embraces all that Jesus is and stands for and offers that (him) to God.

Faith approves of Christ who has come on God's behalf to reveal his holiness and the nature of the sinner's offence. Faith approves of Christ who came on God's behalf to reveal that in him is no darkness at all. Faith willingly and gladly embraces Christ who stands as humanity's representative and offers to God the homage due him. In doing this faith offers God his own heart in regard to righteousness and holiness. Christ becomes the wisdom and righteousness and power of God to the one who has faith (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). This only faith can do and faith can do this only because it claims Christ as all truth and all righteousness. Faith, in doing this and being this, transforms the sinner's heart from one that belongs to an impenitent rebel to one that belongs to a grateful and reconciled child of a Holy Father. The prodigal has come home not because the pig-pen was miserable, not because his latent righteousness came to the surface but because the nature and person of his father created in him the holy longing for his fellowship.

Faith says "Amen" to God's judgement against sin as it is revealed in Jesus Christ on the cross. A heart of faith has Christ at its centre and a heart that has Christ at its centre has God at its centre. A heart like that is reconciled to God (in and by Jesus Christ through faith). By faith in Jesus Christ the sinner is no longer a rebellious enemy who delights in holding God in contempt. Since he has a heart like God's heart in and through Jesus Christ by faith he is truly righteous. That's how and why faith saves--it reconciles us to God by realigning our hearts with God in and through Jesus Christ.

I think the above is accurate but I feel the need to make an additional remark. It's right to say that faith reconciles us to God--and we should. But the truth about faith is even richer than that. Faith not only reconciles us to God, it is reconciliation with God. It isn't only the way to reconciliation with God it is the mark and proof of reconciliation with God. Faith = a transformed heart.

Ezekiel’s Vision: An Alien UFO? by Kyle Butt, M.A.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1061

Ezekiel’s Vision: An Alien UFO?

by  Kyle Butt, M.A.

“I saw it with my own two eyes,” the farmer excitedly explained to the reporter. “As I was feeding the chickens, a huge, saucer-shaped object hovered over my house. A bright light beamed down through my barn, and before I knew what was happening, I saw Bessie, my best milk cow being pulled through the air toward the ship. In seconds, the ship whirred away with Bessie. Don’t know why those aliens would want my best cow!”
Does this scenario sound vaguely familiar? Hundreds of UFO sightings, alien abduction stories, and supposed communication with extraterrestrial life forms have been reported across the globe. From the various outlandish claims, not a single shred of legitimate evidence for life in outer space has ever surfaced. Yet, humanity’s fascination with aliens, UFOs, and extraterrestrial life seems only to grow year by year, in spite of this lack of evidence.
As proof of this growing fascination, it has been suggested that the biblical prophet Ezekiel, in the Old Testament book bearing his name, had an early encounter with an alien spaceship. In a Web article titled “UFOs: Even Before There Were Weather Balloons…,” the author misquoted Ezekiel 1:1-4: “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as if it were gleaming bronze” (a very loose paraphrase of Ezekiel 1:1-4). The article then listed several other ancient “UFO” sightings, and concluded by stating: “These are just a few of the examples of UFO sightings from history” (2004).
Is it the case that Ezekiel saw an alien-operated flying machine from outer space? No, Ezekiel did not see an alien spaceship. How, then, are his visions to be explained? When one looks into Ezekiel’s prophetic book, it becomes clear that Ezekiel did see some strange things. From a quick reading of chapter one, it becomes apparent that Ezekiel saw a “great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself ” (vs. 4), four living creatures from within the cloud (vs. 5), a wheel beside each living creature (vs. 15), and the rims of the wheels full of eyes (vs. 18), among many other things. Indeed, the things seen by Ezekiel were amazing and unusual to say the least.
But with a little research into the biblical message, it becomes clear that Ezekiel’s writing and visions were apocalyptic in nature—very similar to the writings found in both Daniel and Revelation. The visions Ezekiel described are of heavenly, spiritual beings, not “alien life forms.” By comparing the description of the living creatures in Ezekiel to that of the living creatures that surround the throne of God in Revelation 4, one quickly realizes that the scenes witnessed by Ezekiel, John, Daniel, and other inspired writers were visions of God and His spiritual host of heaven.
As further evidence of this fact, at the end of Ezekiel 1, after describing “a likeness with the appearance of a man” on a throne, Ezekiel wrote: “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (1:28). Then, a few verses later in chapter 2, this same person said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me” (2:3). Ezekiel fully understood this to be the Lord talking to Him, that the vision was of spiritual beings, and that he had not had an encounter with an alien from outer space. It is ironic that Ezekiel recognized his vision to be a calling and message from God, yet over 2,500 years after this vision, modern-day UFO hunters want to “reinterpret” Ezekiel’s original understanding of what he saw. A simple question should be asked: who would be in a better position to know what he saw—Ezekiel, or a modern-day “alien hunter” who believes in UFOs in spite of the overwhelming paucity of evidence? To ask is to answer, is it not?
Ezekiel did not see a UFO! He was allowed the special privilege of being called by God through an amazing vision of the heavenly host. His description of the vision ties in perfectly with other apocalyptic writings such as Daniel and Revelation. Those who are looking for the long-absent evidence proving the existence of aliens and UFOs, will have to look some place other than Ezekiel for it.

REFERENCES

“UFOs: Even Before There Were Weather Balloons…” (2004), [On-line], URL: http://ufos.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa052097.htm.

From Mark Copeland... Our Duty To God And Country (Mark 12:13-17)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                 Our Duty To God And Country (12:13-17)

INTRODUCTION

1. Teaching in the temple on Tuesday of the Last Week, we’ve seen...
   a. The authority of Jesus questioned by religious leaders - Mk 11:20-33
   b. The parable of the wicked vinedressers, directed toward the
      religious leaders - Mk 12:1-12

2. Jesus is then approached by Pharisees and Herodians...
   a. Intending to get Him in trouble with the authorities - Mk 12:13; Lk 20:20
   b. Who question Him whether one should pay taxes to Caesar - Mk 12:14-15

3. Ever the Master Teacher, Jesus easily dealt with their question...
   a. Seeing through their hypocrisy, He called for a coin - Mk 12:15
   b. He asked whose inscription was on it, and they answered "Caesar’s"
      - Mk 12:16
   c. His reply cause them to marvel - Mk 12:17

4. The reply of Jesus reveals that we have responsibilities to both God
   and country...
   a. There are things that we must render to Caesar (country)
   b. There are things that we must render to God

[What is our duty to God and country?  In this study we shall review
what the Scriptures tell us about our responsibilities as citizens and
as disciples.  We start with...]

I. OUR DUTY TO COUNTRY

   A. PAY TAXES...
      1. This was the point of Jesus in our text - Mk 12:14-17
      2. Paul also taught us to pay taxes - Ro 13:6-7

   B. OBEY LAWS...
      1. We are to submit to the ordinances (laws) of the land - Ro 13:1-5; Tit 3:1
      2. This we do for the Lord’s sake, that we might silence foolish
         men - 1Pe 2:13-16

   C. FEAR AND HONOR...
      1. We are to respect and honor those in positions of authority
         - Ro 13:7
         a. To fear (respect) the king - cf. Pro 24:21
         b. Not to speak evil of our rulers - cf. Exo 22:28; Ac 23:5;
            Tit 3:2; 2Pe 2:10; Jude 8-9
      2. Even as we are to honor all and love the brethren - 1Pe 2:17
      -- Have you noticed that Paul or Peter never had unkind words
         about Nero?

   D. DO GOOD...
      1. We are to be ready for every good work - Tit 3:1
      2. We are to have conduct that is honorable before all - 1Pe 2:11-12,15-16

   E. PRAY...
      1. To make supplications, offer prayers, intercessions, and giving
         of thanks - 1Ti 2:1
      2. To pray for kings and all who are in authority - 1Ti 2:1-3

[Christians are but sojourners and pilgrims in this world (1Pe 2:11).
While our true citizenship is in heaven (Ph 3:20), we are to be a
blessing to those earthly countries in which we sojourn.  Fulfill our
God-given obligations, and we will be an asset to any country in which
we live!  Now let’s review...]

II. OUR DUTY TO GOD

   A. LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR BEING...
      1. Jesus considered this the greatest commandment of the Law - Mt 22:34-38
      2. Being the greatest command, I would suggest this is our
         greatest duty!

   B. OBEY GOD FROM THE HEART...
      1. If we love God, we will keep His commandments - 1Jn 5:3
      2. Jesus taught that keeping His commandments is evidence of true
         love - Jn 14:15,21,23

   C. MAKE GOD OUR PRIORITY...
      1. His will, His rule, His righteousness, should be our first
         priority - Mt 6:33
      2. Not only over our personal concerns, but even over our duty to
         country
         a. When there is a conflict between duty to God and country,
            God must come first
         b. As stated by Peter:  "We ought to obey God rather than men"
            - Ac 5:27-29
      3. This helps to answer questions that often arise regarding the
         Christian’s duty to government
         a. Can a Christian vote?
         b. Can one serve in political office?
         c. Can one serve in the military or other civic duty?
      4. If such duties come at too high a price (i.e., placing country
         before God), a Christian must obey God rather than men
         a. In some countries, the price may be too high, and Christians
            could not serve in political office or exercise certain
            rights as citizens
         b. Other countries may allow for God to take precedence in
            one’s conduct, permitting Christians to participate in such
            things

CONCLUSION

1. Christians ought to be a blessing for any country in which they
   reside...
   a. A source of revenue, with respect for laws, and reverence for
      those in authority
   b. Contributing to the general welfare, through good deeds and
      fervent prayers

2. Christians can be a blessing to their country......
   a. When Christians render first to God what is His due, and then what
      is due the country
   b. When the country respects the priority that must be given God by
      its citizens

While those in authority might not always understand their proper place,
and expect more of their citizens than what is right, may we who are
disciples of Christ never fail to:

   "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
   and to God the things that are God’s."

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... Where do I fit in?


Men, women, young, old, rich, poor- no matter who you are, no matter where you are from, or who your ancestors were, you are a human being and God loves you. He has provided grace for all. Those who will accept it and obediently live as HE dictates will be blessed beyond belief. In Paul's letter to Titus, he says...

Titus, Chapter 2
 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,  12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;  13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ;  14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

Hope you enjoy the chart and I just want to thank you for taking the time to reflect on these things- God will bless you for doing it.