1/7/13

Monkeys with Typewriters



From The Abiding Word.com  by Ed Healy



Click on the link to listen!



Jim McGuiggan's talks are impressive. They are the expression of a sincere heart in a very fact-of-the-matter presentation.  In the late 60's I had the pleasure of hearing him at the Northeast School of Biblical Studies in Clifton Park New York. This particular talk is somewhat lengthy, but well worth the time.  Please listen to it; you will be blessed.  My thanks to Ed Healy for allowing me to use the material on his website!!!

A Ribbon in the sky, a song and the inevitable revelation




Click On The Above Link To View


Once in awhile I plan what I will write, but the vast majority of the time, I do not.  Today falls into the second category.  I sat down to the computer and atypically, just started to look at some pictures for fun.  Then I saw this picture and Stevie Wonder's song "Ribbons in the sky" started playing in my head.  I wasn't thinking, it was just an automatic sort of thing.  From there, it was a very short trip to this passage from the book of Mark....

Mark, Chapter 14
 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none.  56 For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony didn’t agree with each other.  57 Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying,  58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”  59 Even so, their testimony did not agree. 

  60  The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?”  61 But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 

  62  Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”

Life without God is a dreary thing.  The excitement of youth gives way to responsibility of adulthood and then comes the realization of old age and the certainty of one's demise.  There are bright spots, however; your first love, first child, that first house that is really yours.  And as you go through this unfolding saga, there are signposts along the way - like a ribbon in the sky, which may remind you of a loved one.  For Christians, Jesus' life is a reminder of the hope to come.  His story is not a fairy tale, but history.  And Jesus' own prophetic revelation of the future tells of a future sign in the sky that will signal his return with great power.  He will eventually "set things aright", so keep looking up, for someday he will come.  I wonder... what will your reaction be?  Will this "sign" be received with fear or joy?  Only you can answer that and for your sake I hope it is joy!!!

Looking for an interesting website...

 
 
A Website for you to consider...



Bible Reading, Jan. 7


Jan. 7
Genesis 7

Gen 7:1 Yahweh said to Noah, "Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.
Gen 7:2 You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female.
Gen 7:3 Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth.
Gen 7:4 In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Every living thing that I have made, I will destroy from the surface of the ground."
Gen 7:5 Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
Gen 7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth.
Gen 7:7 Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, because of the waters of the flood.
Gen 7:8 Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground
Gen 7:9 went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
Gen 7:10 It happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth.
Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened.
Gen 7:12 The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Gen 7:13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship;
Gen 7:14 they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort.
Gen 7:15 They went to Noah into the ship, by pairs of all flesh with the breath of life in them.
Gen 7:16 Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and Yahweh shut him in.
Gen 7:17 The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth.
Gen 7:18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters.
Gen 7:19 The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered.
Gen 7:20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
Gen 7:21 All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.
Gen 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died.
Gen 7:23 Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship.
Gen 7:24 The waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days.


Jan. 7,8
Matthew 4
Mat 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Mat 4:2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
Mat 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
Mat 4:4 But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.' "
Mat 4:5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you.' and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don't dash your foot against a stone.' "
Mat 4:7 Jesus said to him, "Again, it is written, 'You shall not test the Lord, your God.' "
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.
Mat 4:9 He said to him, "I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me."
Mat 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.' "
Mat 4:11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
Mat 4:12 Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee.
Mat 4:13 Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
Mat 4:14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
Mat 4:16 the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned."
Mat 4:17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
Mat 4:18 Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
Mat 4:19 He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men."
Mat 4:20 They immediately left their nets and followed him.
Mat 4:21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.
Mat 4:22 They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Mat 4:23 Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Mat 4:24 The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.
Mat 4:25 Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Daniel, Introduction, Mark Copeland

                          "THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

                         Introduction To Daniel

INTRODUCTION

1. One of the more fascinating books of the Bible is the book of 
   Daniel...
   a. The first six chapters contain accounts of faith that inspire
      both young and old
   b. The last six chapters are filled with apocalyptic visions that
      challenge even the most advanced Bible students and scholars

2. It is a book that has often been attacked and abused...
   a. Attacked by liberals who deny its inspiration
   b. Abused by many who have taken its visions out of context to
      support all kinds of wild theories concerning the second coming
      of Christ

3. But when properly read and understood, the book of Daniel can...
   a. Inspire us to greater faithfulness in our service to God
   b. Strengthen our faith in the inspiration of the Bible

[In this lesson, we shall introduce the book and look at it as whole,
beginning with what we know of ...]

I. DANIEL AND HIS TIMES

   A. THE MAN...
      1. The name "Daniel" means "God is my judge"
      2. He was a person of deep and abiding faith
         a. As a youth, he purposed not to defile himself - Dan 1:8
         b. When old, he persisted in serving God despite threats
            against his life - Dan 6:10
      3. God blessed Daniel because of his faith
         a. He rose to great heights in the kingdoms of Babylon and
            Persia - Dan 2:48; 6:1-3
         b. He served as a statesman, a counselor to kings, and a
            prophet of God
      4. Daniel was contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel
         a. Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem before and during the
            Babylonian exile (626-528 B.C.)
         b. Ezekiel prophesied in Babylon among the exiles (592-570 
            B.C.)
         c. Daniel prophesied in the capital of Babylon (605-586 B.C.)
      5. Nothing is known of his personal life outside of the book
         a. He descended from one of Judah's prominent families, if not
            from royal blood - Dan 1:3
         b. At an early age (12-18) he was taken from his family to be
            trained in the courts of Babylon - Dan 1:3-4
         c. Whether he ever married is uncertain

   B. THE TIME IN WHICH HE LIVED...
      1. Some key dates to remember
         a. 612 B.C. - Fall of Nineveh, capital of Assyria
            1) Assyria had ruled the world since the days of Tiglath-
               Pileser (845 B.C.)
            2) Nabopolassar came to the throne in Babylon and rebelled
               against the Assyrians in 625 B.C.
            3) Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nabopolassar, was the general who
               led the Babylonian army against Nineveh, defeating it in
               612 B.C.
         b. 605 B.C. - Battle of Carchemish, establishing Babylonian
            domination
            1) Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt came to fight the Babylonians at
               Carchemish
            2) Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians, chasing them
               south through Judah
            3) At Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar heard of his father's 
               death; he returned to assume the throne in Babylon
            4) The first group of Jewish captives were taken, along
               with Daniel and his friends - Dan 1:1-4
         c. 597 B.C. - A second remnant taken to Babylon
            1) Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) followed the reign of his
               father, Jehoiakim
            2) He lasted just three months, when Nebuchadnezzar took
               him and 10,000 Jews to Babylon - 2Ki 24:8-16
            3) This second group of captives included Ezekiel - Eze
               1:1-3
         d. 586 B.C. - Fall of Jerusalem and the temple destroyed
            1) Zedekiah was installed as king in Jerusalem, but was
               weak and vacillating
            2) Eleven years later, Jerusalem was totally devastated by
               Babylonian forces - 2Ki 25:1-10
            3) A third group was taken into Babylonian captivity, but
               Jeremiah was among those who stayed behind - 2Ki 25:
               11-12,22; Jer 39:11-14; 40:1-6
         e. 536 B.C. - The first remnant returns to Jerusalem
            1) Babylon falls in 539 B.C.
            2) Cyrus, king of Persia, sends the first remnant back
               under the leadership of Zerubbabel - Ezra 1:1-5; 2:1-2
            3) The foundation of the temple was soon started, but the
               temple was not completed until 516 B.C. - Ezra 3:8-13;
               6:14-16
         f. 457 B.C. - A second remnant returns to Jerusalem
            1) Ezra the priest returns with this group - Ezra 7:1-8:36
            2) He leads a much-needed revival - Ezra 9:1-10:44
         g. 444 B.C. - A third remnant returns to Jerusalem
            1) This group is led by Nehemiah - Neh 1:1-2:20
            2) Under his leadership, the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt
               - Neh 3:1-7:73
            3) Together with Ezra, they restore much of the religion 
               - Neh 8:1-13:31
      2. Daniel lived through much of these times (605-534 B.C.)
         a. He was among the first group of captives taken to Babylon
            - Dan 1:1-4
         b. He continued there over the entire 70 years of captivity
            - Dan 1:21; 10:1; cf. Dan 9:1-2; Jer 25:11; 29:10

[Daniel was certainly a remarkable man. His greatness was recognized by
his contemporary, Ezekiel (Ezek 14:14,20; 28:3). Now let's take a brief
look at...]

II. THE BOOK OF DANIEL

   A. THE THEME...
      1. "God Rules In The Kingdoms Of Men" - cf. Dan 2:21; 4:17,25,32,
         34-35; 5:21
      2. In this book, we see the rule of God is...
         a. Manifested in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar,
            Darius, and Cyrus, kings of the Babylonians, Medes, and
            Persians
         b. Foretold to occur in the days of the Persians, Greeks, and
            Romans
      3. In this book, we learn the rule of God would be especially
         manifested...
         a. With the establishment of God's kingdom - Dan 2:44
         b. With the vindication of the cause of His saints - Dan 7:27

   B. A BRIEF OUTLINE...
      1. God's Providence In History - 1:1-6:28
         a. Daniel and his determination to be pure - 1:1-21
         b. Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's promotion - 2:1-49
         c. Faith in the face of fire by Daniel's friends - 3:1-30
         d. Nebuchadnezzar's second dream and temporary insanity - 4:
            1-37
         e. The writing on the wall and fall of Belshazzar - 5:1-31
         f. Darius and his den of lions - 6:1-28
      2. God's Purpose In History - 7:1-12:13
         a. Daniel's dream of the four beasts - 7:1-28
         b. Daniel's dream of the ram and the goat - 8:1-27
         c. Daniel's prayer, and the vision of the seventy weeks - 9:
            1-27
         d. Daniel's vision of the time of the end - 10:1-12:13

CONCLUSION

1. As with all of Scripture, the book of Daniel is profitable for our
   study - 2Ti 3:16-17
   a. From Daniel and his three friends, we will learn the power of
      faith and commitment
   b. By studying this book, we can better understand our Lord's
      references to it - cf. Mk 1:14-15; Mt 24:15-16

2. Despite some of its more difficult and challenging passages, we can
   benefit from them as well, as long as we interpret them...
   a. In the context of the book itself
   b. Consistent with all else the Bible may say on the subject
   c. With the humility and openness that is incumbent upon all who
      would study and teach God' word - cf. 2Ti 2:24-25

In our next study, then, we will begin by taking a look at "The Faith
Of A Fifteen-Year-Old"...