10/17/18

The God of Love and Mercy by Gary Rose



Last night, as I sat down to do my daily Bible Reading, I read the 136th Psalm once again and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. Over and over I read “for his loving kindness endures forever”. The emphasis of the repetition was inescapable and a little troubling. Why, I asked myself was this phrase repeated again and again and yet tied to so many different thoughts???

Then, the answer, yet another question: How do I know God? The answer I found came from the text in a generic way and I listed the thoughts as they came to me.

Read the Psalm for yourself and you decide...

Psalm 136 (World English Bible)
note: emboldened for emphasis

 1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
  2 Give thanks to the God of gods;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
  3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  4 To him who alone does great wonders;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  5 To him who by understanding made the heavens;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  6 To him who spread out the earth above the waters;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  7 To him who made the great lights;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  8 The sun to rule by day;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  9 The moon and stars to rule by night;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  10 To him who struck down the Egyptian firstborn;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  11 And brought out Israel from among them;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  13 To him who divided the Red Sea apart;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  14 And made Israel to pass through its midst;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  16 To him who led his people through the wilderness;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  17 To him who struck great kings;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  18 And killed mighty kings;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  19 Sihon king of the Amorites;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  20 Og king of Bashan;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  21 And gave their land as an inheritance;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  22 Even a heritage to Israel his servant;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  23 Who remembered us in our low estate;
for his loving kindness endures forever;
  24 And has delivered us from our adversaries;
for his loving kindness endures forever:
  25 Who gives food to every creature;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
  26 Oh give thanks to the God of heaven;
for his loving kindness endures forever.

Then, I did a little comparison between versions and lastly, a reference from Strong’s for the King James version’s translation of mercy.

[Ps 136:1]
[WEB]
Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good;
for his loving kindness endures forever.
[LITV]
O give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
[Webster]
O give thanks to the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
[KJV]
O give thanks<03034> unto the Lord<03068>; for he is good<02896>: for his mercy<02617>endureth for ever<05769>.
[YLT]
Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age is His kindness.
Strongs: 02617
2617 checed kheh'-sed from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness) (emphasis added) , mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing. see HEBREW for 02616

Do you know God? Think of all you see, what has transpired in your life and I think you will see the hand of God in everything! More than JUST THAT, you will realize that you are loved and that God has been very kind and merciful in and through it all!!!

How do I know this- in a word- JESUS!!!
Enough said.
Your friend,
Gary

10/15/18

"THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY" Useful For The Master (2:20-26) by Mark Copeland 


 "THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY"

Useful For The Master (2:20-26)

INTRODUCTION

1. To motivate Timothy toward faithful service, Paul used an
   illustration involving 'vessels'...
   a. Of varying qualities and value - 2Ti 2:20
   b. How one could be a vessel for honor, prepared for every good work
      - 2Ti 2:21
   -- Thus becoming "Useful For The Master"

2. By considering the context (2Ti 2:20-26), we too can learn how to
   be...
   a. Vessels of gold or silver, not wood or clay
   b. Vessels for honor, not dishonor
   -- And thereby also becoming "Useful For The Master"

[It involves effort, but such is necessary if we are going to be
prepared for every good work.  First of all, to be useful for the
Master...]

I. WE MUST WORK ON OUR PERSONAL CONDUCT

   A. THINGS TO AVOID...
      1. Must cleanse oneself from "the latter" - 2Ti 2:21
         a. I.e., vessels of dishonor - 2Ti 2:20
         b. E.g., teachers of false doctrine like Hymenaeus and
            Philetus- cf. 2Ti 2:16-18
      2. Must flee youthful lusts - 2Ti 2:22
         a. The lust of the flesh, such as fornication - 1Co 6:18
         b. The lust of the eyes, such as materialism - cf. 1Ti 6:9-11
      -- We must avoid both wicked associations and wicked conduct

   B. THINGS TO DO...
      1. Must pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace - 2Ti 2:22
         a. Qualities without which no one will see the Lord - He 12:14
         b. Qualities well suited for the "man of God" - cf. 1Ti 6:11
      2. With those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart - 2Ti 2:22
         a. Together with those who sincerely love God
         b. I.e., not alone, nor in the company of  those 'vessels of
            dishonor'
      -- We must seek both holy conduct and holy associations

[Avoiding wicked associations does not mean we do not reach out to those
in error.  For the Lord desires all to be saved 
(cf. 1Ti 2:4; 2 Pe3:9).  To be "Useful For The Master" in teaching them...]

II. WE MUST WORK ON INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

   A. THINGS TO AVOID...
      1. Must avoid foolish and ignorant disputes - 2Ti 2:23
         a. That generate strife - 2Ti 2:23; cf. 1Ti 1:4; 6:4
         b. That bring ruin to the hearers - 2Ti 2:14; cf. Tit 3:9
         c. That increase to more ungodliness - 2Ti 2:16
      2. Must not quarrel - 2Ti 2:24
         a. That is, strive or fight over words - cf. 2Ti 2:23
         b. "engage in a war of words, to quarrel, wrangle, dispute"
            - Thayer
      -- We must avoid discussions that are little more than 'word
         battles'

   B. THINGS TO DO...
      1. Must be gentle to all - 2Ti 2:24
         a. "affable, that is, mild or kind" - Strong
         b. "not only to troubled minds, and wounded consciences, by
            supplying them with the precious promises and truths of the
            Gospel; and to backsliders, by restoring them in a spirit of
            meekness; but even to those who contradict the truth, and
            themselves, by mild and kind instructions." - Gill
      2. Must be able to teach - 2Ti 2:24
         a. "apt and skillful in teaching" - Thayer
         b. Thus able to both exhort and convict those who contradict
            - cf. Tit 1:9
      3. Must be patient - 2Ti 2:24
         a. "patient of ills and wrongs, forbearing" - Thayer
         b. "The Greek word here used does not elsewhere occur in the
            New Testament. It means, patient under evils and injuries"
            - Barnes
         c. A Christ-like quality much needed in 'word battles' - cf. Co
            3:13
      4. Must correct in humility - 2Ti 2:25
         a. That is, with "gentleness, mildness, meekness" - Thayer
         b. Even against those who:
            1) Who oppose the truth
            2) Who are ensnared by the devil
         c. For such qualities are weapons "mighty in God"
             - cf. 2 Co 10:1-5
            1) Not carnal, such as wrath, anger, and strife
            2) But mighty for casting down arguments, bringing thoughts
               into captivity to Christ
      -- We must develop and demonstrate a Christ-like character toward
         the opposition

CONCLUSION

1. A servant of the Lord must therefore give careful attention...
   a. To his personal conduct and associations
   b. To his interpersonal relations with those in error

2.  A servant of the Lord who does so can then be...
   a. A vessel of honor
   b. Sanctified (set apart for a godly purpose)
   c. Useful to the Master!

What kind of 'vessels' are we becoming for the Lord...?


eXTReMe Tracker 

Questions and Answers: Why is the Book of Esther in the Bible? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=89

Questions and Answers: Why is the Book of Esther in the Bible?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
Q.
Why is the book of Esther in the Bible, since it does not mention God? (cf. Wells).

A.

God operates in many different ways. In the book of Exodus, for example, we read about God working through Moses to part the Red Sea, and to turn a shepherd’s rod into a serpent. During New Testament times, God gave Jesus power to heal all manner of sickness, cure blindness, and even raise the dead.
But miracles were only one way in which God worked. He also worked (and continues to work) through providence, which means that He uses natural laws to accomplish His varied purposes. For instance, in Acts 14:17, the apostle Paul explained to his listeners that God gave them “rain from heaven and fruitful seasons,” thereby filling their hearts “with food and gladness.” How had God given them such blessings? Did He miraculously drop apples out of the sky or turn stones to bread? No, He used the natural forces of this world to accomplish His purposes. God always is at work “behind the scenes” to make sure that His ultimate will is accomplished.
When we study the book of Esther, it is true that we never read God’s name. But many of the things that occurred in the book could not have been “just luck.” Take, for instance, the time that King Ahasuerus could not sleep, and his servant “just happened” to read the records of the time that Mordecai had saved the king’s life (Esther 6:1-3). In fact, the entire book of Esther shows that God’s guiding hand was working behind the scenes to save the Jewish nation. Esther’s guardian, Mordecai, once said to her: “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). His statement shows that he was seeing God’s possible plan for Esther.
Today, no person has been given the power to raise the dead or turn sticks into snakes, but God still is at work through His guiding hand of providence. The book of Esther serves to remind us that we do not need to see God (or even read His name) to know that He is “not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

REFERENCE

Wells, Steve, "Esther for Skeptics," http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/est/intro.html.

Questions and Answers: "Their Worm does not Die" by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=29

Questions and Answers: "Their Worm does not Die"

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
Q.
What does “their worm does not die” mean in Mark 9?

A.

At the end of the chapter in Mark 9, Jesus began a brief discourse with His disciples, explaining that their spiritual well-being should be the paramount concern in their lives. In order to illustrate this point, He commented that if their hand offended them, it should be cut off, or if their foot made them sin, it, too, should be amputated. This figurative language stressed the point that whatever stood in the way of faithfulness to God should be discarded. Jesus concluded that it was better to be rid of stumbling blocks than “to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’ ” (Mark 9:43-44,46,48).
The word “hell” in this passage is actually the Greek word Gehenna, meaning “Valley of the Son(s) of Hinnom,” which was the name given to the valley south of the walls of Jerusalem. This valley was notoriously connected to the sinful, horrific practice of child sacrifice associated with the pagan god Molech. Josiah, the righteous king of Judah, in his efforts to restore true worship, ransacked the pagan worship arena and “defiled Topheth, which is the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech” (2 Kings 23:10). As a result, the valley became a refuse dump for discarding filth, dead animals, and other garbage (see Jeremiah 7:32). By the time of Jesus, the Jewish community associated Gehenna with spiritual death (Lenski, 1946, p. 407).
Interjected into Jesus’ explicit description of Gehenna, was the statement that in this horrid place, the “worm does not die.” The worms—described in Isaiah (66:24), and pictured by Jesus in Mark 9—are maggots, which would be associated quite naturally with the rotting filth of a refuse heap. The twist to Jesus’ phrase is the fact that the worm in hell “does not die.” Concerning this, Lenski wrote: “The fact that it does not die means that its work is eternal. ...The bodies of the blessed shall shine with glory and eternal bliss, but the bodies of the damned shall be like rotting, putrid corpses that have the worm within...” (p. 408).
This passage surely must represent one of the most graphic mental pictures ever painted by our Lord—which should cause each of us to reflect seriously on the possible stumbling blocks in our own lives, and what we can do on a daily basis in order to avoid them.

REFERENCE

Lenski, R.C.H. (1961), The Interpretation of Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg).

Questioning Quotation Marks by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2550

Questioning Quotation Marks

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Quotation marks in written texts are often very beneficial to the reader. They help the reader know exactly when a person is speaking. They also help the reader understand exactly what the person has said. Did the husband merely say that he appreciated his wife, or did he tell his wife: “I love you more than life itself”? Did Patrick Henry merely ask for freedom, or did he cry, “Give me liberty or give me death”? Did Abraham Lincoln state, “About 90 years ago, our pappies started a country,” or did he actually say, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation”? Quotation marks help the reader to know the difference between an actual quote and a paraphrase of what was said.
Whereas writers in modern times are accustomed to using quotation marks for direct quotes, students of the Bible must remember, “ancient writers did not use the same literary devices employed today. Quotation marks, colons, ellipsis marks, brackets, etc., were unknown to them” (Jackson, 1988, emp. added). It is very important for Bible students to keep in mind that the inspired writers of Scripture and the amanuenses who copied their works, did not use quotation marks to identify what various individuals said. As with all writers of antiquity, quotation marks were foreign to the Bible writers. The thousands of quotation marks in many modern translations were added by translators in hopes of helping the Bible student have an easier time understanding the text. Unfortunately, quotation marks can be a hindrance if the Bible student does not first understand that the inspired writers often did not intend for their statements to be precise quotations, but rather summaries of inspired truths.
Sometimes it is quite obvious that quotation marks are out of place. For example, the inspired writer of 1 Kings 14 recorded how God informed the prophet Ahijah that King Jeroboam’s wife was coming to pay him a visit. The penmen then wrote: “Thus and thus you shall say to her” (14:5). In several versions that utilize quotation marks (e.g., NKJV, NASB, RSV, etc.) you may be left with the impression that what God told Ahijah was literally, “thus and thus….” In actuality, “thus and thus” was merely the inspired writer’s way of saying that God spoke some things to Ahijah—the things that Ahijah then specifically relayed to Jeroboam’s wife in verses 6-16. God did not literally reveal “thus and thus” to Ahijah. He revealed to him some very specific words that the phrase “thus and thus” summarizes.
The same terminology was used in 2 Kings when, after an Israelite servant informed Naaman’s wife that Elisha could heal Naaman of his leprosy, Naaman told the King of Syria, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel” (2 Kings 5:4, emp. added). Naaman obviously did not approach the King of Syria and literally say, “thus and thus.” Rather than repeat what the girl said to Naaman’s wife, the inspired penman of 2 Kings summarized Naaman’s statement to the king with the words “thus and thus.” Yet, because these words appear within quotations marks in certain modern translations, some might misinterpret the encounter. These two examples from 1 and 2 Kings are elementary, but they clearly demonstrate how Bible students in the 21st century must be careful when interpreting “quotations” from 1,900+ years ago.

QUOTATIONS OF JESUS

Numerous times in the gospel accounts, the Bible writers recorded statements made by Jesus while He was on Earth. Although Bible writers frequently recorded the same statements, they are not exactly (word-for-word) alike. For example, whereas Matthew recorded that Jesus told Satan, “It is written again (palin gegrapti), ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (4:7), Luke wrote: “It has been said (eiratai), ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (4:12). Although this difference is considered minor, and is referring to the same thing (the Old Testament), Matthew and Luke still recorded Jesus’ statement using different words. Why? Why did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John not always record the words of Jesus exactly alike?
First, it is possible that some differences throughout the gospel accounts are due to Jesus having made both statements. It is unwise to think that every similar statement recorded by the gospel writers must refer to the exact same moment. In the example of Jesus responding to Satan’s temptation, it may be that Jesus repeated the same thought on the same occasion using different words. After telling Satan, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God,” Jesus could have re-emphasized the point (especially if Satan repeated the temptation) by saying, “It is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Thus, Jesus could have made both statements.
A second reason why differences exist among the gospel writers’ quotations of Jesus is because the writers’ purpose was to record precisely what the Holy Spirit deemed necessary (cf. John 16:13), but not necessarily exactly what Jesus said. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21), one writer may paraphrase a person’s (e.g., Jesus’) words, while another writer may quote the exact words. Similar to how two different but honest, intelligent newspaper reporters can give accurate accounts of the same event, all the while using different terminology, styles, etc., God’s inspired penmen could give accurate accounts of what Jesus communicated to mankind, especially considering “they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, emp. added).

CONCLUSION

Throughout the Bible, one can find accurate statements that Jesus and others made, but not necessarily the exact quotations (despite the fact that modern translators and publishers often offset the sayings of Jesus and others with quotation marks). Keep in mind, however, that inspired summaries of what someone said do not take away from the accuracy of the God-given Scriptures, nor a person’s ability to apply those Scriptures to one’s life.

REFERENCE

Jackson, Wayne (1988), “Principles of Bible Prophecy,” Reason & Revelation, 8[7]:27-30, July.

Question and Answer: Should Jesus Be Called "Yeshua"? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5591

Question and Answer: Should Jesus Be Called "Yeshua"?

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Q:

“Do you know if there’s any truth to the claim that Jesus should only be called ‘Yeshua’ or that the name ‘Jesus’ is a corruption done by pagans or occultists (it’s been claimed that KJV was influenced by freemasonry, or that it was supposed to sound like Zeus)? Additionally, what evidence is there that the NT was originally written in Greek (vs. Hebrew vs. Aramaic)?”

A:

The Hebrew word transliterated “Joshua” in our English versions of the Old Testament  (pronounced yeah-HO-shoo-ah) is equivalent to the Greek term “Jesus” (pronounced ee-ay-SOOS). Though God Himself miraculously instigated several new languages at Babel (Genesis 11), we do not know what those languages were nor do we know what single language was spoken prior to that event. God has given no indication whatsoever that Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are “sacred” languages that must be emulated. Instead, what we learn from the Bible is that God fully expected His Word to be translated into the multitude of languages that He knew would come about gradually as societies, ethnic groups, and nations developed. There is no evidence in Scripture that God assigns special reverence to, or expects verbal exclusivity for, the names “God” or “Jesus” in a particular language. The Jews refused to pronounce the divine name (approximated by English words like “Jehovah” and “Yahweh”) and so historically did not know how to pronounce it. The claims of pagans and occultists are irrelevant. One must produce the evidence from Scripture that God commands a specific spelling or pronunciation. Hispanics have the same word, “Jesus,” which they name their children, pronounced “hay-SOOS.” It has the same spelling in both English and Spanish. By the reasoning of those cited, differing pronunciations of the same word are unacceptable. Their theory shows a woeful lack of understanding regarding the functioning of human language.
Regarding the second question, there are well over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, some dating back close to the first century. There is a mountain of evidence from historical and religious writers in the early centuries of Christianity that record the linguistic state of affairs at the time. Once again, where is the evidence that the New Testament was originally written in a language other than Koine Greek? The evidence does not exist. It is true that Jesus probably spoke Aramaic while He was on Earth. But God the Holy Spirit chose to communicate the divine will via the most common, prominent language of the day: Koine Greek. A host of Hellenistic Jews at the time spoke Greek and relied on the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint; cf. Acts 6). In fact, most of the quotes of the Old Testament found in the New Testament are from that version. When people postulate an imaginary Aramaic New Testament that lies behind the Greek New Testament that we have, they are merely speculating without solid, sufficient evidence—which they are under obligation to produce.
However, let’s suppose that those who make such claims are right, that the New Testament was originally written in Aramaic. Why did God not see to it that it was preserved and passed down to us? Answer: we must not need it! We can confidently say that we have God’s Word intact in our 21stcentury based on the variety of proofs that exist by which the New Testament text has been recovered/ascertained (see the DVD Has the Bible Been Corrupted? available through AP).

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