2/15/21

God is No Respecter of Persons by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

 https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1440

 God is No Respecter of Persons

by  Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

When the first Gentile was converted to Christianity, the apostle Peter perceived that “God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35). Before the church was established and Gentiles began to be converted to Christ, many Jews supposed that God favored them over all other ethnic groups; some had the false notion that merely being Jewish was a sure sign that one was saved (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8; 7:30).

When the religious barrier between Jews and Gentiles was broken down, Peter more fully understood one important aspect of God’s character: He does not favor—and never has favored—one person or group of people over others. Whether or not the Israelites always understood it, anyone who obeys God’s commands can be justified in His sight. Consider a sampling of the passages that emphasize God’s fairness toward all humans:

2 Chronicles 19:7: “Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

Job 34:19: “Yet He is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of His hands.”

Romans 2:10-11: “[B]ut glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.”

Galatians 5:6: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”

1 Peter 1:17: “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.”

Exactly what does it mean that God is impartial? God offers salvation to every man, no matter what external circumstances, such as socioeconomic status or nationality, might apply to him. God does not offer salvation only to the Jew, just because he is a Jew, or only to the Gentile because he is a Gentile. The Greek word translated “respecter of persons” in the King James Version of Acts 10:34 (“God is no respecter of persons”) is prosopolemptes, a word that refers to a judge who looks at a man’s face instead of at the facts of the case, and makes a decision based on whether or not he likes the man (Lenski, 1961, p. 418). Under Roman law, for example, a defendant’s societal status was weighed heavily along with evidence. Any human judge might show undue favor to a plaintiff or a defendant because of private friendship, bribery, rank, power, or political affiliation, but God, the perfect Judge, cannot be tempted by any of the things that might tempt a human judge to show unfair partiality.

God’s impartiality does not keep Him from choosing people and nations of people to accomplish His specific purposes. He was free to use the Israelites as the seed line to bring about the Son of God in human form (the Israelites have never been the only group of people who had access to salvation—see Romans 1:18ff; Jackson, 2004); He was free to use the Babylonians to defeat the disobedient Israelites in battle and to take the spoils from them (2 Kings 25:1-21); He was free to use Peter and Paul to spread the Gospel to lost sinners. God can accomplish everything He needs to do without violating His commitment to allow all the opportunity to be saved.

Furthermore, God blesses people in different ways. God’s impartiality does not mean that everyone will have exactly the same amount of money, exactly the same amount of influence, exactly the same number of children, or exactly the same number of years upon the Earth. (At the very moment that Peter noted God’s impartiality, he was in the presence of a man who possessed more material wealth than Peter did.) Some do have more money than others, some have families who love them more, and some even have more opportunities to hear the Gospel preached. However, everyone can be saved, if he is willing to search for the truth. While some accountable adults may live their entire lives without hearing a single Gospel sermon, they all experience the marvelous works of the hand of God, showing every person that He exists. Paul wrote:

[W]hat may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:19-21).

God always has expected impartiality from His followers. We should not treat people differently because of their financial status or outward appearance. The Lord said: “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty” (Leviticus 19:15). Deuteronomy 1:17 reads: “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great.” After describing a scenario in which a rich man was given a favored seat in the assembly, and a poor man was pushed to the side, James wrote: “But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:9). In stating that Christians should not show partiality because they believe in Christ, James, by inspiration, suggested that favoritism—treating certain people as if they are of more inherent worth—is inconsistent with faith in Christ, and causes one to violate God’s law of liberty (2:8,12).

We are grateful that God has not arbitrarily chosen some people to be saved and some to be lost. Imagine a basis upon which He might select which people should be saved. Would He choose the wealthy? The well known? The most intelligent? Members of a particular ethnic group or culture? Fortunately, each person can choose for himself whether or not to accept God’s saving grace (Joshua 24:15; Isaiah 7:16; Ezekiel 18:20; Matthew 23:37; Revelation 22:17). Each person is responsible for his or her own actions (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Because of God’s marvelous love for all humans, He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; cf. 1 Timothy 2:4).

REFERENCES

Jackson, Wayne (2004), “To What Law Were the Ancient Gentiles Accountable?,” [On-line], URL: http://www.christiancourier.com/questions/whatLawAncientGentiles.htm.

Lenski, R.C.H. (1961 reprint), The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg).

God Did Not Condone Rape by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2333

God Did Not Condone Rape

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Militant atheists of the 21st century delight in accusing God of condoning the most heinous immoralities. They insist that the God of the Bible, especially of the Old Testament, was a murderous villain guilty of far worse than His human subjects. Richard Dawkins accused God of being a “misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully” (2006, p. 31).

One attempt that has been made to bolster these unfounded accusations is to suggest that in the Old Testament God condoned rape. Dan Barker commented: “If God told you to rape someone, would you do it? Some Christians, ignorant of biblical injunctions to rape, might answer, ‘God would never ask me to do that’” (Barker, 1992, p. 331, emp. added). If the honest truth seeker were to ask to see the “biblical injunctions to rape,” he would be struck by the fact that no such injunctions exist.

The passage that is most often used to “prove” that God condones rape is Numbers 31:25-40. In this passage, the young women who were taken captive after Moses destroyed the Midianites were divided between the Israelites and the priests. The priests were given responsibility for 32 of the women. Skeptics often suggest that these women were supplied so that the priests could abuse them sexually and rape them. But nothing could be further from the truth. The skeptic errs greatly in this regard either due to his ignorance of God’s instructions or willful dishonesty.

In Deuteronomy 21:10-14, Moses specifically stated what was to be done with female captives:

When you go out to war...and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife, then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails. She shall put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month; after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife (emp. added).

It is important to understand that God has never condoned any type of sexual activity outside of a lawful marriage. The only way that an Israelite would be morally justified in having sexual intercourse with a female captive was if he made her his wife, granting to her the rights and privileges due to a wife. Notice that the Israelite male could not “go in to her” (a euphemism for sexual intercourse) until she had observed a period of mourning and cleansing, and he could only “go in to her” with the intent of being her husband.

When the skeptics’ allegations about God condoning rape are demolished by the very clear instructions in Deuteronomy 21, the attack is usually shifted, and God is accused of being unjust for allowing war prisoners or slavery of any kind, regardless of whether or not rape was permitted. While these allegations about slavery have been dealt with decisively in other places (Butt, 2005a), it is important not to lose sight of the fact that shifting the argument to slavery is a red herring to draw attention away from the original accusation that God condoned rape.

For the skeptic to imply that God condoned rape, using Numbers 31, without mentioning Moses’ instructions in Deuteronomy 21, is unconscionable. It is simply another instance of dishonest propaganda designed to discredit God and the Bible. The irony of the skeptics’ position is that if atheism is true, the skeptic has no grounds upon which to claim that rape is morally wrong (Butt, 2005b). In fact, in my debate with Dan Barker, Barker admitted that fact, and stated that under certain circumstances, rape would be a moral obligation (Butt and Barker, 2009).

In reality, God’s ways and actions have always been fair, equitable, and just. But the errant thinking and self-contradiction of the skeptical worldview continues to show itself to be unjust in its criticism of God, and immoral in its practical application.

REFERENCES

Barker, Dan (1992), Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist (Madison, WI: Freedom From Religion Foundation).

Butt, Kyle (2005a), “Defending the Bible’s Position on Slavery,” [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/articles/368.

Butt, Kyle (2005b), “Rape and Evolution,” [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/articles/306.

Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), The Butt/Barker Debate: Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

Dawkins, Richard (2006), The God Delusion (New York: Houghton Mifflin).

God Cannot Lie by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1383

God Cannot Lie

by  Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

Can God be limited? Many Bible passages proclaim that God is all-powerful, all-seeing, and all-knowing. While God is unlimited by time, space, or force, His very character has determined that He will never do some things, because to do them would be inconsistent with His principles—viz., God’s nature prevents Him from such things. For example, God cannot lie. Observe what the Bible has to say about God’s honesty and, therefore, His reliability.

Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

1 Samuel 15:29: “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

Psalm 92:15: “To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Malachi 3:6: “For I am the Lord, I do not change.”

Romans 3:4: “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.”

Titus 1:2: “[I]n hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”

Hebrews 6:18: “[I]t is impossible for God to lie.”

James 1:17-18: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

God is the only being Who is incapable of lying. Everything that God said would happen before now, has happened—just as He said it would. Since God knows all things past, present, and future (and since He is completely honest), it is impossible for Him to speak untruths (see Colley, 2004). One striking characteristic of the Bible is that it contains a large collection of statements attributed to God. Some of these statements are predictions of future occurrences, some are warnings, some are instructions, some are revelations concerning the Divine character, and some are statements of simple fact. One common thread runs through all of God’s recorded statements: they are all true. God has never “gone back” on a promise. God has never lied—He has never even made an “honest mistake.” God, in revealing His message to humans, has not held back truths that we need (2 Peter 1:3). Likewise, Jesus was completely honest, even when telling a hard truth meant putting Himself in danger (Matthew 23:28-33; 1 John 3:5).

God is not tempted to lie. No one can catch Him in a compromising position, or give Him an opportunity to make Himself appear more impressive by making up false accomplishments or attributes. He is perfect in every way, so even if His character did permit Him to lie, the potential for personal gain, which serves as many people’s motivation to lie, would not affect Him.

Paul, who stated so boldly in his letter to Titus that God cannot lie, wrote to Titus while he worked among the Cretans, who were known for their dishonesty. Furthermore, Cretans were accustomed to a pantheon, which included various gods, all with different personalities, so when Paul emphasized that God does not lie, he not only was giving Titus a practical teaching tool, but also was showing that Christianity is distinct from the polytheism that surrounded the church of Christ at Crete (see “God Cannot Lie,” 1996; “Why Crete?,” n.d.). People are more likely to serve a God upon Whom they can unquestionably depend. In fact, take away God’s trustworthiness, and He is no longer God. Philosopher RenĂ© Descartes, in his fourth meditation, wrote:

To begin with, I recognize that it is impossible that God should ever deceive me. For in every case of trickery or deception some imperfection is to be found; and although the ability to deceive appears to be an indication of cleverness or power, the will to deceive is undoubtedly evidence of malice or weakness, and so cannot apply to God (1984, p. 37).

Humans often lie. God made humans in His image and likeness, but, unlike God, humans commit sin (see Lyons and Thompson, 2002a,b). On occasion, we say things that are false, not because we intend to lie, but because we lack accurate information. Sometimes, while we know the truth, we choose to relay false information to others. Often, we are not comfortable with frankly telling people what they need to know. The words of humans are frequently so undependable that we sometimes use lie detectors in attempts to determine who is telling the truth, and who is not. Apparently, some humans are so “good” at lying, that even the polygraph test has now been proven ineffective in detecting lies (Vergano, 2004).

The devil is the father of lies. Jesus said: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). The dishonesty of Satan is one of the features that makes him the complete opposite of God; God speaks the truth exclusively, while Satan speaks only lies. The angels who, at one time, chose to follow Satan, are partakers in his deceit (see Thompson, 1999). Satan does not tell lies because he wants humans to avoid the pain that truth often brings. Rather, he lies because he hopes that humans will believe falsehoods and, eventually, be damned because they reject the truth of God (1 Peter 5:8). The fact that the devil keeps “no truth in him” is one of the reasons why heaven and hell are so far separated (Matthew 25:41; Luke 16:26). God cannot associate with the impurity that dishonesty brings.

CONCLUSION

How should we respond to the truthfulness of God? We should be grateful because we serve a God Who will not go back on His word. God’s honesty means that He will fulfill His promise of eternal life for those who serve Him. Imagine a scenario in which you approach His throne on Judgment Day, having fulfilled the requirements for appropriating the redeeming blood of Christ to your soul, only to find that God has changed the rules! You no longer would be able to enter heaven, because God had not been honest with you. We should be grateful because God is not required to be forthright with us, anymore than He is required to love us enough to offer His Son as a sacrifice for sin. Nonetheless, He is all-merciful, all-caring, and fortunately, completely honest. We are assured that every word of God is a “sure word” (2 Peter 1:19), because we know God has a detailed history of making His word good.

As we strive to be godly, we must be honest with ourselves, and with others (Luke 8:15; Romans 12:17). If we practice deceit, no one will believe we are truly followers of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 8:21, we read: “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (KJV). Following this precept will earn us “high esteem” in the eyes of God and men (Proverbs 3:4).

REFERENCES

Colley, Caleb (2004), “The Omniscience of God,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2562.

Descartes, René (1984), The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, trans. John Cottingham, Robert Stoothoff, and Dugald Murdoch (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press).

“God Cannot Lie” (1996), [On-line], URL: http://www.ivmdl.org/wil.cfm?study=117.

Lyons, Eric, and Bert Thompson (2002a), “In the ‘Image and Likeness of God’ [Part I],” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/123.

Lyons, Eric, and Bert Thompson (2002b), “In the ‘Image and Likeness of God’ [Part II],” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/125.

Thompson, Bert (1999), Satan: His Origin and Mission (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

Vergano, Dan (2004), “Telling the Truth About Lie Detectors, [On-line], URL: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-09-lie_x.htm.

“Why Crete?” (no date), World Health Organization, [On-line], URL: http://www.nsph.gr/who-harvard/whyCrete.html.

"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" The Cost Of Discipleship (8:34-35) by Mark Copeland

 







"THE GOSPEL OF MARK"
The Cost Of Discipleship (8:34-35)
 

INTRODUCTION

1. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus called people to become His disciples...
   a. Such as Simon and Andrew - Mk 1:16-18
   b. Also James and John - Mk 1:19-20

2. At the conclusion of His ministry, Jesus sent His apostles to make more disciples...
   a. To make disciples of all the nations - Mt 28:19
   b. Teaching them to observe all that He commanded - Mt 28:20

3. In the text for this lesson, we find Jesus discussing the issue of discipleship...
   a. Having just predicted His own suffering, death, and resurrection - Mk 8:31
   b. Telling His disciples and others what is the cost of discipleship - Mk 8:34-35

[A disciple is a learner, a follower; to be a disciple of Jesus means
that we follow Jesus.  But as Jesus mentions in our text, such
discipleship requires a cost.  To be a true disciple of Jesus...]

I. ONE MUST DENY SELF

   A. WHAT IT MEANS...
      1. To deny sinful self, ungodliness, and worldly lusts; and part
         with them, and his former sinful companions, which were as a
         part of himself - Gill
      2. To deny righteous self, and renounce all his own works of
         righteousness, in the business of justification and salvation - ibid.
      -- To deny self with its self-righteous pride and sinful lust from dominating you

   B. HOW IT'S MANIFESTED...
      1. Denying sinful self, expounded by Peter
         a. Abstaining from fleshly lusts - 1Pe 2:11-12
         b. No longer living like the rest of the world - 1Pe 4:1-4
      2. Denying righteous self, exemplified by Paul
         a. Who had much about which he could have boasted - Php 3:4-6
         b. But chose to put all his trust in Christ - Php 3:7-14
      -- In precept and practice, the apostles tell us what it means to deny self

[Together with denying self, to be a disciple of Christ...]

II. ONE MUST TAKE UP HIS CROSS

   A. WHAT IT MEANS...
      1. To voluntarily and decisively accept the pain, shame, and
         persecution that is going to be one's particular-note: his, not
         someone else's-lot because of his loyalty to Christ and his cause - Hendriksen
      2. To cheerfully receive, and patiently bear, every affliction and
         evil, however shameful and painful it may be, which is
         appointed for him, and he is called unto; which is his peculiar
         cross, as every Christian has his own; to which he should
         quietly submit, and carry, with an entire resignation to the
         will of God, in imitation of his Lord - Gill
      3. The cross is to be born "daily", indicating Jesus was speaking metaphorically - cf. Lk 9:23
      -- To gladly endure whatever hardship one may receive in service to Christ!

   B. HOW IT'S MANIFESTED...
      1. In the case of the apostles
         a. What they all endured - 1Co 4:9-13
         b. What Paul in particular endured - 2Co 11:23-29
      2. In our case, it may involve being:
         a. Ridiculed - 1Pe 4:4
         b. Reviled (spoken evil of, excluded) - 1Pe 4:4; Mt 5:11; Lk 6:22
         c. Reproached - 1Pe 4:14
      -- All the while, rejoicing that one is honored to suffer for
         Christ - 1Pe 4:16; Ac 5:40-42

[With a willingness to deny self and bear one's own cross on a daily basis...]

III. ONE MUST FOLLOW JESUS

   A. WHAT IT MEANS...
      1. To become His disciple, seeking to become like Him - Lk 6:40; cf. Ro 8:29; 13:14
      2. To accept Him as Lord, doing what He says - Lk 6:46; cf. Col 3:17
      3. To walk in His footsteps, even at great cost - 1Pe 2:21-25
      -- To become a Christian, to let Jesus be your Lord and mentor


   B. HOW IT'S MANIFESTED...
      1. Obeying the gospel of Christ - Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15-16; Ac 2:38; 22:16
      2. Observing all He and His apostles commanded - Mt 28:20; Ac 2:42; 1Co 14:37
      3. Ever growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ - 2Pe 3:18
      -- Putting Jesus on in baptism, and then living with Him - Ga 3:27; 2:20

CONCLUSION

1. The cost of discipleship may seem rather high...
   a. One must deny self
   b. One must take up one's cross
   c. One must follow Jesus

2. But as Jesus explains, there are only two choices... - Mk 8:35
   a. One can try to save his life himself, but will end up losing it- cf. Jn 8:24
   b. One can lose his life for Jesus' sake and the gospel's, and wind up saving it! - cf. Re 2:10

   For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
   his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. - Mk 8:35

In view of eternity, there is only one viable choice:  endure the high
cost of discipleship, and receive the blessings of eternal life...!
 
Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Holy Sex and Unholy Sex by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2019/06/28/holy-sex-and-unholy-sex/

Holy Sex and Unholy Sex

“Why is sex before marriage a sin?” asked Linda, one of our regular readers in response to a recent post.

Linda added, “I can see how extramarital affairs, sex outside marriage can be (sinful).” She further suggested the only dangers to sex before marriage might be “unwanted sexual diseases or an unexpected or unplanned pregnancy.” However, she opined that “thankfully these days many people have access to safe birth control and condoms so they do not have to suffer heart-wrenching punishing consequences.”

Linda is not alone in her thinking. A May 2019 Gallup poll regarding issues that Americans believed were morally acceptable found that 71% thought sex between an unmarried man and woman was acceptable. However, 89% believe it was morally unacceptable for married men or women to have an affair.

The answer to Linda’s question does not reside in social acceptance, personal opinion, or majority rule. If you believe in God and that the Bible is the Word of God, then His divine decree determines what is right and wrong.

The Bible says that “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4).

The word “fornication” is generally used in the Bible of any illicit sexual activity. However, when it is used in the same context of adultery, the former refers to sexual immorality between unmarried people. And the latter to sexual immorality between people who are married, but not to each other.

Both fornication and adultery are listed among “the works of the flesh” that will hinder one from entering the Kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).

All types of sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage are unholy and cause one to sin against his body and defile the temple of the Holy Spirit. Thus, Paul warns, “Flee sexual immorality.” Because you belong to Christ, glorify Him in your sexual purity (1 Cor 6:18-20).

Furthermore, Paul instructs “Because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband” (1 Cor 7:2). In the relationship of marriage, the sexual union is sanctioned and sanctified by God.

I’m reminded in the 2018 Florida College Lecture program, Dr. Tom Hamilton began his lecture, “Not in Passion of Lust” with these two words: “Holy Sex.”

“If Christians were honest with themselves, “holy sex” sounds like the greatest of all oxymorons,” Tom wrote in the lecture book. “In any number of church buildings, the word ‘sex’ is yet to be mentioned (unless it is spelled ‘sects’), being considered a taboo topic for public proclamation.”

Preceding Hamilton’s lecture, Gospel Preacher Mark Broyles, spoke on “The Spiritual Nature of the Sexual Relationship.” Mark observed that “God created us in His image as sexual beings.” While God is a Spirit and not a sexual being, He chose to make us male and female, body and spirit, with sexual desires. Both Broyles and Hamilton Biblically obliterated the notion that somehow sexual feelings and relationships are somehow “unholy,” or even “dirty.”

“Are my pleasure and my holiness inherently contradictory to one another?” asked Mark. “Is it possible that God created us with strong urges and desires that can be richly fulfilled and yet our holiness not be tainted? He further probed. “Yes,” is the answer. “It is not only possible, it is true.”

The Old Testament Song of Solomon offers, as Homer Hailey used to say, a divine picture of “true mating love.” Rich in symbolism and explicit in the imagery of that day, we learn that God created physical intimacy to be enjoyed to its fullness within the marriage relationship as God intended.

Song 7:1-7
1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O noble daughter!
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
the work of a master hand.
2 Your navel is a rounded bowl
that never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat,
encircled with lilies.
3 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
4 Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are pools in Heshbon,
by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon,
which looks toward Damascus.
5 Your head crowns you like Carmel,
and your flowing locks are like purple;
a king is held captive in the tresses.
6 How beautiful and pleasant you are,
O loved one, with all your delights!
7 Your stature is like a palm tree,
and your breasts are like its clusters.

Furthermore, the wise man offers this captivating insight in Proverbs 5

18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 As a loving hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.

Why is sex outside of marriage sinful? Because God said so. He ordered and ordained marriage, and thus has the right to make the rules. Also, He knows what is best for us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The consequences of disobeying God’s Word are far greater than a disease or unwanted pregnancy. They are eternally disastrous.

But obeying God’s commandments regarding sexual purity, not only provides pleasure in this life, but promises eternal ecstasy in our Heavenly home.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

NO VOTE WILL BE TAKEN ON JUDGMENT DAY BY STEVE FINNELL

 

https://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/

NO VOTE WILL BE TAKEN ON JUDGMENT DAY BY STEVE FINNELL

There are many who believe that when judgment day arrives; that, majority opinion will determine entry into heaven. Many people believe that God will not send people to hell just because they reject Jesus as the Christ.

Acts 4:10-12 ....by the name of Jesus Christ....12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

On judgment day, some would have you believe there will be a listed ballot from which you can cast your vote for the Savior of your choice.

CHECK THE REDEEMER OF YOUR CHOICE

1. Jesus
2. Kiou-tse
3. Kriskna
4. Dhouvanai
5. Horus
6. Balder
7. Hiram Abiff
8. Sosiosch
9. None of the above.

There is just one choice "JESUS." That selection has to be made prior to judgment day.

THERE WILL NOT BE A SAVIOR VOTE TAKEN ON JUDGMENT DAY!

Many also believe God gives believer in Christ "multiple choice" plans of salvation from which to cast a vote.

1. The grace only plan.
2. The faith only plan.
3. The sinner's prayer plan.
4. The good works plan.
5. The water baptism only plan.
6. The confessing Jesus as the Christ only plan.
7. The repentance only plan.
8. The deathbed conversion plan.
9. The universal plan of salvation.

THERE WILL BE NO VOTE TAKEN, ON JUDGMENT DAY. THERE IS JUST ONE PLAN OF SALVATION..

There is one way to be saved. 
FAITH: John 3:16
REPENTANCE: Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38
CONFESSION: Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37
WATER IMMERSION: Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Titus 3:5, Acts 22:16, Galatians 3:27, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12-13, Ephesians 5:25-27, 1 Peter 3:20-21.
ALL OF THESE ARE ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. Then remain faithful: Revelation 2:10

THERE WILL BE NO VOTE TAKEN ON JUDGMENT DAY!

Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow  that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

There are 2.2 billion people who claim they are Christians. Do you believe that they will all enter through that narrow gate? If not, why not?

ON JUDGMENT DAY THERE WILL BE NO MAJORITY VOTE TAKEN TO DETERMINE WHO WILL BE SAVED!

JESUS HAS THE ONLY VOTE THAT WILL BE COUNTED!

Angels in Revelation by Roy Davison

 

https://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/angels.html

Angels in Revelation

Revelation describes actions of angels.

The great lesson of Revelation is the same vision Elisha's servant saw: "And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?' So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Although we are few and forces of evil appear to be overwhelming, Revelation opens our eyes to the mighty host of angels fighting for good and vanquishing evil.

John expands on what is said about angels in other parts of Scripture. The following passages help us understand what angels do in Revelation.

Jesus Christ "has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him" (1 Peter 3:22).

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels" (Hebrews 12:22).

"Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

Jesus promised: "Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8). "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats" (Matthew 25:31,32).

"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matthew 16:27).

In the parable of the tares, Jesus explains: "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire" (Matthew 13:39-42).

"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire'' (Matthew 13:49,50).

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31 // Mark 13:27).

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17).

"Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8).

Angels are subject to Christ. Believers are in fellowship with Christ and His angels who are ministering spirits, sent to help the heirs of salvation. The angels rejoice over each sinner who repents and Christ will confess the faithful before His Father and His angels.

All the angels will accompany Christ when He returns to judge the world. He will send them out with the sound of a trumpet and they will remove the wicked and cast them into the furnace of fire. They will assemble all of God's elect from every quarter. The dead in Christ will rise first, then the living faithful will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the sky to be with Him forever.

This background information helps us understand what angels do in Revelation.

Revelation speaks of rebellious angels.

This is also taught in other passages.

Jesus said that on the day of Judgment He would say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

"And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6).

God's angels are victorious.

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ... Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" (Revelation 12:7-9,12).

What activities of angels are described in Revelation?

1. An angel gave the Revelation to John (Revelation 1:1,2).

John received a 'little book' from an angel who told him: "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings" (Revelation 10:1-11).

At the close of Revelation we are told: "And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 22:6). "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches" (Revelation 22:16).

2. Angels worship God.

"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!'' (Revelation 5:11,12).

"And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen' '' (Revelation 7:11,12).

3. Angels support the preaching of the gospel.

"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water' " (Revelation 14:6,7).

4. Angels help the servants of God.

"Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads' " (Revelation 7:2,3).

"Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand" (Revelation 8:3,4).

5. Angels bring God's judgment on the earth.

This is the most prominent activity of angels in Revelation.

Seven angels blow seven trumpets of partial destruction.

At the sound of these warning trumpets 'a third' is destroyed, but the peoples of the earth do not repent (Revelation 9:20,21).
The first angel: "a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up" (Revelation 8:7).
The second angel: "a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed" (Revelation 8:8,9).
The third angel: "And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water; and the name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter" (Revelation 8:10,11).
The forth angel: "And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened; and a third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night" (Revelation 8:12).
The fifth angel: "he opened the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:2). The locusts that come up from the bottomless pit have "as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon" (Revelation 9:11). These names mean 'destruction' (compare with Exodus 12:23; Job 26:6; 28:22; Proverbs 15:11; Ezekiel 7:25).
The sixth angel: He released "the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates" ... "to kill a third of mankind" (Revelation 9:14,15).
The seventh angel: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15). The seventh trumpet announces the coming judgment (Revelation 11:18). Jesus had said: "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:31,32).

Seven angels bring judgment.

The call to begin the final judgment is given by seven angels in chapter fourteen.
The first: "Another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel" (Revelation 14:6) "for the hour of His judgment has come" (Revelation 14:7).
The second: "Another angel followed, saying, 'Babylon is fallen'" (Revelation 14:8).
The third: "A third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone" (Revelation 14:9,10).
The fourth: "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 'Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped" (Revelation 14:15,16).
The fifth: "Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle" (Revelation 14:17).
The sixth: "And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, 'Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe'" (Revelation 14:18).
The seventh (the same as the fifth): "So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God" (Revelation 14:19).

Seven angels pour out the seven last plagues: seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God.

Now that the harvest has begun and the vines are thrown into the winepress of the wrath of God, seven bowls of the wrath of God are poured out on the earth by seven angels. The seven bowls are similar to the seven trumpets, but in this case the devastation is complete, and still the peoples of the earth do not repent.

"Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete" (Revelation 15:1).

"And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed" (Revelation 15:6-8).

"Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth'" (Revelation 16:1).
The first: "A foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image" (Revelation 16:2).
The second: The sea "became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died" (Revelation 16:3).
The third: "The rivers and springs of water" became blood (Revelation 16:4).
The forth: The sun scorches men with fire, yet they do not repent (Revelation 16:8- 11).
The fifth: The kingdom of the beast becomes full of darkness, yet they do not repent (Revelation 16:10,11).
The sixth: The Euphrates dries up (Revelation 16:12).
The seventh: "It is finished!'' (Revelation 16:17).

One of the angels with the seven bowls, explains the meaning of the great harlot.

"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters'" (Revelation 17:1).

"But the angel said to me, 'Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns'" (Revelation 17:7).

"After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen'" (Revelation 18:1,2).

"Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, 'Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore'" (Revelation 18:21).

"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, 'Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great'" (Revelation 19:17,18)

An angel binds Satan for a thousand years.

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:1,2). After the thousand years, the devil is vanquished and thrown into the lake of fire, the dead are raised and all must appear before the judgment throne of God. Those whose names are not found in the book of life are also thrown into the lake of fire.

One of the angels with the seven bowls shows John the bride of the Lamb.

For the righteous there is a new heavens and a new earth and an angel shows John the Lamb's bride.

"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal" (Revelation 21:9-11).

The Angel who brought the message warned John not to worship angels but to worship God.

"Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, 'See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God' " (Revelation 22:8,9 // 19:10).

Revelation describes actions of God's angels.

There are also rebellious angels, but the angels of God are victorious. An angel gave the Revelation to John. Angels worship God. They support the preaching of the gospel. They help the servants of God. They bring judgment on the earth. Seven angels blow seven warning trumpets of partial destruction. Seven angels bring judgment. Seven angels pour out the seven last plagues: seven bowls full of the wrath of God. One of these angels explains the meaning of the great harlot. An angel binds Satan for a thousand years. An angel shows John the bride of the Lamb. The Angel who brought the message warned John not to worship angels but to worship God.

Understanding what the angels do in Revelation, helps us understand Revelation. Although we are few and forces of evil appear to be overwhelming, Revelation opens our eyes to the mighty host of angels fighting for good and vanquishing evil. And we are assured that if we remain faithful until death we will share in the victory of Christ and the heavenly host.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Do NOT give up! by Gary Rose

 

I attended a School of Preaching in the late seventies and frankly that time was the best two years of my life. I was absorbing Bible at an unbelievable rate, surrounded by great teachers and my fellow students who were as excited about studying the Bible as I was. Unlike most of my fellow students, I did not attend the school to be either a Preacher or a Teacher, but rather I just wanted seek what God wanted me to do for him.


After graduation, I preached at a number of congregations for the next several years and stopped doing this when my wife almost died. She needed my help getting through her recovery and afterward she did not want anything to do with the ministry or even the church. So much for preaching. Time to regroup.


Needless to say, I was distraught and prayed for guidance for a long time. Years went by and I began working on a new Bible Study method which I called the Composite Bible and then I began blogging in 2008 and have continued this work, making 26,000+ combined posts for my two blogs. If you add in Google+ (which has now been discontinued), my hits reached over 1 million a couple of years back. In addition to the blogs, there are internet sites for The Composite Bible and recently, for The Composite Reports.


OK, why did I say this? Because I had no idea in 1979 that I would be doing the work of a blogger, because personal computers were not even readily available until the mid-80’s. I just had to wait for God to open a door of service for me and in the meantime, be as faithful as I could.


A few of my classmates from the school of Preaching (Northeast School of Biblical Studies) do not even attend church and more are not even active in the church. So, when I saw this picture today, I asked myself: Why do Christians (especially preachers) quit? The items in the picture may or may not be the primary reason Christians (Preachers) quit, but I think there is another more fundamental reason. After much reflection, I found these verses…


Matthew 14 ( World English Bible )

23 After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.

24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”

28 Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

29 He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.

30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”


Hebrews 12 ( WEB )

1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


When we become Christians, we have a new master – Jesus. We begin with Jesus helping us and as we continue with Jesus he still helps us, no matter what happens.


Peter looked to Jesus and when he stopped relying upon (looking to Jesus) him- he began to sink. He needed Jesus to stay “afloat”. We do too. We are to look to Jesus and have faith that ultimately his will for our lives will be done.


What does all this mean? If we keep “looking to Jesus”, we will not quit. Oh, the outcome of our lives may not be what we expected it to be, but it will be God’s will.


Everyone’s spiritual story will be slightly different, but isn’t that what the church is all about; remember that business about us all being parts of a collective spiritual body? Believe it, for its true.


One last thought…

NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP ON JESUS, BECAUSE HE DIDN’T GIVE UP ON YOU.