7/21/21

Mirrors, Conundrums and Reflections by Gary Rose

 


Pictured above, is a sign and the reflection of it. Question: Is the meaning supposed to be “LAKE MIRROR” or “MIRROR LAKE”? Probably the second one is correct, but who knows? Anyway, the meaning ultimately turns out to be about the same, whichever order you prefer.


As I considered this conundrum ( which is really not a big deal, just me actually thinking again ) I remembered that the Bible discusses substance and shadow in a way that is A BIG DEAL. Consider this passage from the book of Hebrews…


Hebrews 8 ( World English Bible )

1 Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,1

2 a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. 2

4 For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;

5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” 3

6 But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. 4

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

8 For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days come,” says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;5

9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.

10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.6

11 They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest.7

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”

13 In that he says, “A new covenant,” he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away.


Ever wonder why we divide the Bible into the Old testament and the New? Well, the passage above teaches that God initially established a covenant with the Israelites in the desert, but they simply could not keep it, so God gave ALL PEOPLE a NEW one. A new one that is not based on rule keeping, but rather on an obedient relationship with God from the heart through the grace of God. Inaugurated, not with the blood of bulls or goats, but rather with the shed blood of God’s one and only son, Jesus. So, the first one was becoming old ( at the time of the composition of the book of Hebrews ) and being replaced by the NEW and therefore we have the Old Testament ( covenant ) and the New Testament ( covenant ).


Today’s post is a bit different than most, for I have included the footnotes from my Bible for your consideration, just in case you may wish to reflect on the Hebrew passage. Unlike the trick picture above, this Scripture reflection will give clarity and understanding to one of the most important concepts found in our Holy Bible. Recently, I read the following comment about reflection, I do not know who wrote it, but it is worth the time to reflect on its meaning:


In a mirror is where we find a reflection of our appearances, but in a heart is where we find the reflection of our soul.


7/19/21

The Fool by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=930

The Fool

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Perhaps many Americans are unaware of the extent to which atheism and agnosticism have blanketed the country. Virtually every department in our state universities has been infiltrated by godless, humanistic presuppositions. Study and research are conducted from an evolutionary, relativistic framework that either jettisons the notion of God altogether, or dilutes it sufficiently to effectively nullify the biblical representation of deity. The psalmist anticipated all such behavior centuries ago when he wrote: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1).

Because of their inability to discern spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14), the Soviet cosmonauts looked out of their spacecraft in the 1960s and, in ridicule, asked, “Where is God?,” echoing again the words of the psalmist: “Why should the nations say, ‘Where now is their God?’ But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:2-3). Pride is a deadly pitfall that blinds one to the truth: “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’ ” (Psalm 10:4).

But the Universe “declares” the plain work of the Creator (Psalm 19:1). Would we not consider a person a “fool” were he to pick up a watch and proclaim, “There is no watchmaker”? Though he had never empirically encountered the creator and designer of the watch, the mere existence of the watch proves the existence of a watchmaker. It takes very little investigation to see that a watch is a crude, simplistic instrument compared to the glorious, complex chronometers of the Universe. Those who see “the things that are made” and deny the very One Who made it all are “without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Recognition of the existence of the Creator should lead a person to pursue His will. One may express verbal belief in the existence of God while being a practical atheist. Such a person professes, “There is no God” by his or her actions. By failing to be devoted to God, even while considering oneself to be a Christian, he or she is denying the Lord (1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:16). One can deny His great act of love, mercy, and grace (Titus 2:11-12; Hebrews 2:3). One can forget and ignore the great dissolution to come (2 Peter 3:10-12).

Who desires to be a fool? Who really wants to live a foolish existence? The wise, insightful, noble person is the one who examines the evidence and draws the warranted conclusion (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Only a fool would affirm: “There is no God.”

Is God the Cause of Evil in the World? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


 https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5968

Is God the Cause of Evil in the World?

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Based upon the rendering of Isaiah 45:7 in the KJV, ASV, and other translations,1 skeptics have maintained that God is the author of evil. The verse reads: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” But is God the cause of evil in the world?

In order to answer that question, one must first define terms and, more specifically, ascertain the meaning behind the original word from which an English translation is taken. After all, the current state of English is such that we use the word “evil” to refer to spiritual, moral evil, i.e., sin or wickedness. But is that the meaning of the Hebrew word that lies behind the word “evil” in this verse?

As a matter of fact, the Hebrew word translated “evil” (rah) has various shades of meaning. It often has the meaning of distress, misery, injury, calamity, and adversity.2 For example, consider its use in Amos 6:3—“Woe to you who put far off the day of doom” (NKJV). The NASB has “the day of calamity.” Jeremiah 42:6 reads in the ESV: “Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God.” The NKJV has: “Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God.” Isaiah 31:2 renders the word “disaster” in the NKJV: “Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster.” In Micah 1:12 “good” is contrasted with “disaster.”

Ahab complained to Jehoshaphat that the prophet Micaiah never prophesied “good” concerning him, but only “evil” (1 Kings 22:8,18). He was referring to the misfortune that came upon himself.3 In the great admonition that Moses issued to the younger generation near the end of his life, he urged: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil” (NKJV). The NASB rightly renders the verse: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity” (Deuteronomy 30:15). “Good” and “evil” here refer, not to sin or moral evil, but to “prosperity” vs. “adversity.” The previous generation grumbled against Moses in the desert: “And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place?” (Numbers 20:5). They did not mean that the desert was immoral or sinful. They meant it was a “wretched place” (NASB/NRSV), a “terrible place” (CJB/ISV/NIV), a “horrible place” (EHV).

The NKJV renders Job 31:29 as: “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted myself up when evil found him.” A clearer rendering is: “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him” (NIV). What did Jacob mean when he explained to Pharaoh “few and evil have the days of the years of my life been” (Genesis 47:9)? He used the word to mean “poor, not beneficial.”4 The CJB renders it: “they have been few and difficult.” The NCV has: “short and filled with trouble.” Many additional verses manifest similar meanings for rah that have nothing to do with sin, moral evil, or wickedness.

One final observation regarding Isaiah 45:7. Based on the way Hebrew parallelism functions, the verse itself offers assistance in defining its use of the word “evil.” It is placed in antithesis to the word “peace.” The opposite of “peace” is not moral evil or wickedness—but physical disturbance, trouble, and adversity. The same is true in verse 11:

Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
Which you shall not know.”

Hebrew parallelism in this verse demonstrates that “evil” = “trouble” = “desolation.”

Returning to verse 7, the NKJV reflects the parallelism nicely:

“I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD, do all these things.”

God is not the author of evil. Intrinsic evil, by definition, refers to violations of God’s will, i.e., sin (1 John 3:4). Sin is committed when human beings5 exercise their free will and choose to transgress God’s laws, thus committing evil. Humans are the source of evil in the world—not God.6

 Endnotes

1 In addition to the KJV and ASV, these translations also render the Hebrew term “evil”: BRG, DARBY, DRA, GNV, JUB, LEB, WYC, and YLT.

2 Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs (1906), The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2000 reprint), p. 948.

3 L. Koehler, W. Baumgartner, M.E.J. Richardson, & J.J. Stamm (1994-2000), The Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, electronic ed.), p. 1252.

4 Ibid., p. 1250.

5 Satan and other angelic beings also chose to violate God’s will (e.g., John 8:44).

6 God’s allowance of suffering to exist in the world is likewise not evil. See Dave Miller (2015), Why People Suffer (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press); Dave Miller and Kyle Butt (2009), “The Problem of Human Suffering,” Apologetics Press, https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=890&topic=330.

 

3 Things We Can Learn From Atheists by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5967

3 Things We Can Learn From Atheists

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

God’s people have always been in the learning business. While “fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7), “the heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15). Christians are primarily interested in learning from God, His Word (Psalm 119), and from those who imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). However, we can also learn some valuable lessons from unbelievers,1 including those who contend an all-powerful, all-knowing Creator God does not exist.

#1—Atheists Rightly Point Out How Unloving and Cowardly Christians Are Who Do Not Evangelize

Penn Jillette is a famous comedian, actor, and entertainer, as well as a very outspoken atheist. In 2010, he made a five-minute personal video about a kind gentleman who handed him a Bible after one of his shows. Jillette said: “I believe he knew that I was an atheist. But he was not defensive and he looked me right in the eyes…. He was really kind, and nice, and sane…and talked to me and then gave me this Bible.”2

Although many (perhaps most) atheists do not want to be approached with the Gospel, Jillette went on to say:

I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell, and people could be going to Hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward…how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?3

The fact is, Jillette was simply using logic in drawing this conclusion: If Christians believe what they say they believe about eternal life and eternal death (Matthew 25:46), then they will teach the Gospel to others in a kind, loving, Christ-like manner.4

#2—Atheists Correctly Call Out the Hypocrisy of Pretend Christianity, But They Illogically Conclude That Pretend Christianity Justifies a Rejection of the Real Thing

One atheist was reported to have said a few years ago: “We hear an awful lot from conservatives in the Bible Belt and on the TV about how we all should be living. Certainly a culture that teaches the conservative religious values of the Christian right must have clean living written all over it. And lots of ripe fruit from their morally superior lives abounding. It doesn’t. Far from it. People that talk the loudest may be the ones walking the slowest. Joining its history of Biblically correct bigotry and discrimination, it is an area with the highest divorce, murder, STD/HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy,” etc.5 The fact is, many people who call themselves Christians do not walk in the light of the Lord, but sadly stroll in the devil’s darkness.

Consider one example. In 2014, 86% of Alabamians claimed to be Christians.6 In Montgomery, the state’s capital city of about 200,000 people,7 the proverbial phrase “you’ll find a church on every corner” rightly portrays this city of over 250 churches.8 Sadly, in 2015, this “Christian city” was statistically crowned “the most sexually diseased city in the nation.”9

Indeed, atheists should call out such blatant hypocrisy on the part of many “Christians.” In fact, they are doing what Christian parents, preachers, and Bible teachers should be doing continually—warning those who claim to be Christians not to live in sin, including any kind of sexual sin.10 No doubt, hypocrisy runs wild in “Christian America” today11 in part because (a) so many churches seem more interested in social gatherings and entertainment than preaching on sin and salvation,12 and (b) most churches appear too politically correct to address specific sinful situations in their midst, which only exacerbates the problems in churches across the country (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13).

Still, for all the disheartening hypocrisy among the religious today, just as a counterfeit $100 bill does not prove that genuine $100 bills do not exist, counterfeit Christianity is not a logical reason to reject authentic Christianity. Neither Cain’s unacceptable religious sacrifice nor his murder of Abel made true worship and service to God illogical. What’s more, neither Judas’s thievery nor his betrayal of Jesus made the religion of Jesus invalid. God condemns hypocrisy (Matthew 5:20), but He gives everyone sufficient evidence to know the Truth and obey it (John 8:32)—to follow the evidence where it leads and to become real, genuine Christians, like Peter and Paul, Philip and Phoebe, and Aquila and Priscilla.

#3—Atheists Correctly Point Out the Illogical, Blind Faith of Many “Christians,” But They Fail to Acknowledge that Atheism (Not Christianity) is Based Upon “Blind Faith”

In his book The End of Faith, atheist Sam Harris addressed beliefs and the importance of evidence and reason. He was especially critical of Christians, saying:

Tell a devout Christian that his wife is cheating on him, or that frozen yogurt can make a man invisible, and he is likely to require as much evidence as anyone else, and to be persuaded only to the extent that you give it. Tell him that the book he keeps by his bed was written by an invisible deity who will punish him with fire for eternity if he fails to accept its every incredible claim about the universe, and he seems to require no evidence whatsoever.13

Sadly, Harris’s words seem to accurately describe many (perhaps most) who profess to be Christians. Rather than being real truth seekers and evidence followers, many are “Christians” because of mere feelings, emotions, preferences, and traditions. Atheists rightly call out such illogical, evidence-less faith. “That’s how I was raised,” or “I just feel it in my heart” are not real reasons to be a Christian (or anything else for that matter). To claim to be a Christian for irrational, mere feel-good reasons is unreasonable, unbiblical, and unChristlike. The fact is, God has always expected man to be reasonable, just as the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus were reasonable (1 Samuel 12:7; John 5:31-47; 10:37-38; Acts 26:22-25; 2 Peter 1:16). [For proof that reason and divine revelation go hand-in-hand, be sure to read Is Christianity Logical? available from Apologetics Press.14]

While atheists correctly point out the illogical, blind faith of many Christians, the truth is, the evidence actually disproves atheism and supports genuine Christianity.15 If, as the First Law of Thermodynamics indicates, in nature, matter and energy are neither created nor destroyed, then a Universe could not create itself from nothing.16 Thus, if naturalistic atheism is true (and at one time absolutely nothing existed),17 then there should be absolutely nothing today. Yet, here we are—an entire Universe, which is perhaps the greatest evidence for the existence of God. Indeed, matter demands a Maker. The existence of intricate, self-replicating life demands an original life Giver.18 Complex, functional design in nature demands a Designer, not an accidental explosion of a tiny ball of matter.19 Intelligence in the material realm demands an intelligent Creator (i.e., intelligence does not arise from dust, dirt, rocks, water, or mud, much less from “nothing”). The Bible’s supernatural attributes demand a supernatural Author.20 And the historical, miracle-working, resurrected-from-the-dead Jesus Christ demands a supernatural explanation.21

Conclusion

It can be helpful for atheists to point out any flaws in those who claim to be Christians. The truthful, logical criticisms of others combined with humble hearts can lead to necessary repentance and renewed dedication to our Creator, Savior, and Judge (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; 17:30-31). Let’s just be sure not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” While faithful Christians are still imperfect (1 John 1:5-10; 5:13), and while phony, hypocritical Christians have always been with us, such flaws are in no way a logical argument against the Flawless One (1 Peter 2:21-24), His Word, and the need to be faithful members of His Church.22 In fact, the evidence will lead any honest, good-hearted, seeking soul to this conclusion (Proverbs 8:17; Luke 8:4-15).

Endnotes

1 Recall how Jesus told the parable of the unjust steward in hopes of His hearers learning an important lesson (Luke 16:1-8)—seemingly that if an unrighteous man is willing to take drastic measures to prepare for his physical future, how much more should the righteous be willing to do in preparation for eternity?

2 Penn Jillette (2010), “A Gift of a Bible,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md638smQd8.

3 Ibid.

4 After all, Jesus’ main purpose was “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus sent His apostles out with this same commission (Mark 16:15-16), and the early Church “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Evangelizing is simply the natural response to having Christ-like, agape love for mankind.

5 James Veverka as quoted in B.A. Robinson (2000), “U.S. Divorce Rates for Various Faith Groups, Age Groups, & Geographic Areas,” http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm.

6 Kay Campbell (2015), “How Alabama’s ‘Religious Landscape’ Has Changed since 2007,” https://www.al.com/living/2015/05/us_religious_landscape.html.

7 “Montgomery, AL Population” (2021), World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/montgomery-al-population.

8 According to www.churchfinder.com/churches/al/montgomery.

9 Kym Klass (2015), “Montgomery Rated Most Sexually Diseased City in Nation,” July 27, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/07/27/montgomery-rated-sexually-diseased-city-nation/30722091/.

10 Consider the many warnings that Paul made to various first-century churches about sin, including repeated admonitions about refraining from all manner of sexual immorality: Romans 1:24-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-7:9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:1-14; Colossians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

11 The leading cause surely being the breakdown of the home, even among so many who claim to be Christians.

12 This is not a criticism of Christian fellowship and social gatherings, which are extremely important to the life of the Church. However, the preaching of the saving-from-sin Gospel of Christ (in all its power—Romans 1:16) must not take a back seat to anything in the life of God’s people.

13 Sam Harris (2005), The End of Faith (New York: W.W. Norton), p. 19.

14 https://store.apologeticspress.org/products/is-christianity-logical?_pos=1&_sid=a38615988&_ss=r.

15 For a brief, 100-page survey of evidences for God, the Bible, Jesus, and true belief in Jesus, see Eric Lyons and Kyle Butt (2017), Reasons to Believe (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), https://store.apologeticspress.org/collections/books/products/apbkkbel0003. 

16 For more information, see Jeff Miller (2013), Science vs. Evolution (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), pp. 19-39, https://store.apologeticspress.org/collections/books/products/apbkjm001.

17 Atheistic cosmologist Stephen Hawking stated on national television in 2011, “Nothing caused the Big Bang” [“Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?” (2011), Discovery Channel, August 7, emp. added].

18 See Jeff Miller, pp. 61-110.

19 See Dave Miller, ed. (2017), Does God Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), pp. 62-126, https://store.apologeticspress.org/collections/books/products/apbkdm007. 

20 See Kyle Butt (2007), Behold! The Word of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), https://store.apologeticspress.org/collections/books/products/apbkkb0004. 

21 See Kyle Butt and Eric Lyons (2006), Behold! The Lamb of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), https://store.apologeticspress.org/collections/books/products/apbkkbel03. 

22 See Dave Miller (2007), What the Bible Says About the Church of Christ (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), https://store.apologeticspress.org/collections/books/products/apbkdm0018.

"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" Two Kinds Of Food (6:27) by Mark Copeland

 






 
"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

Two Kinds Of Food (6:27)

INTRODUCTION

1. Among the miracles of Jesus that attracted great attention was the
   feeding of 5000 with five loaves of bread and two fish - Jn 6:1-13
   a. Many came to believe in Him as the Prophet to come - Jn 6:14; cf.Deut 18:15
   b. Some wanted to take Him by force and make Him king - Jn 6:15
   c. People sought to follow Him - Jn 6:22,24-25

2. Jesus, who knew the hearts of men (Jn 2:25), perceived their selfish motives...
   a. They were interested only in the food, not what the miracle indicated - Jn 6:26
   b. Prompting Jesus to warn them about the food for which they labor- Jn 6:27

[The words of Jesus in our text (Jn 6:27) reveal there are "Two Kinds Of
Food", one that perishes and another that endures.  As we seek to apply
Jesus' admonition to our own lives, let's consider...]

I. THE FOOD WHICH PERISHES

   A. WHAT FOOD IS THIS...?
      1. Literally, it is the food we eat
         a. It quickly perishes, even with the benefit of preservatives
         b. It fails to satisfy for long, soon we are hungry and thirsty again - cf. Jn 4:13
      2. Figuratively, there are other "foods" which soon perish
         a. The food of human wisdom
         b. The food of folly
         c. The food of mirth and pleasure
         d. The food of great wealth and industrious labor
         -- Which Solomon found to provide no lasting fulfillment - cf.
            Ec 1:17; 2:1-2,3-11

   B. DO NOT LABOR FOR SUCH FOOD...
      1. This does not mean we are to make no effort to supply our needs
         a. A Christian is to provide for his family - 1Ti 5:8
         b. If a man does not work, neither should he eat - 2Th 3:10-12
      2. But that we not do so to the neglect of food which endures
         a. The "food" which perishes should not be our priority in life- cf. Mt 6:33
         b. A lesson that Martha needed to learn - Lk 10:38-42

[Sadly, many people expend much time, energy, and money for "food" which
soon perishes.  Jesus would have people direct their life's efforts toward...]

II. THE FOOD WHICH ENDURES

   A. WHAT FOOD IS THIS...?
      1. In other texts, it is the Word of God
         a. By which man truly lives - cf. Mt 4:4
         b. Which Job treasured more than necessary food - Job 23:12
         c. Which David valued more than gold and fine food - Ps 19:10;
            119:72,103,11
         d. Which Jeremiah found to be the rejoicing of his heart - Jer 15:16
         e. Which causes rebirth, and endures forever - 1Pe 1:22-25
      2. In our text, it is Jesus, the Word of God
         a. Jesus, the Logos (Word) of God - Jn 1:1,14,18
         b. He is the true bread from the Father in heaven - Jn 6:31-35
         c. He is the bread of life who offers everlasting life  - Jn 6:47-51

   B. LABOR FOR THIS FOOD...
      1. Jesus must be the primary focus of our labors, in which we strive:
         a. To believe in Him, for therein is everlasting life - Jn 6:28-29,40
         b. To follow Him, for He has the words of eternal life - Jn 6:66-69
         c. To know Him, for that is eternal life - Jn 17:1-3
         d. To obey Him, for to those who obey He is the author of eternal life - He 5:9
      2. Are we laboring for the food which endures to everlasting life?
         a. Let Paul's attitude be our example - Php 3:7-15
            1) Seeking to know the Lord more and more
            2) Never content with our current understanding, always pressing further
         b. Let Peter's exhortation to diligence in growing in the
            knowledge of Jesus Christ set the standard - 2Pe 1:5-8; 3:18
            1) Seeking to become like the Lord more and more
            2) Always abounding, always growing in grace and knowledge

CONCLUSION

1. Dear friends and brethren, for what "food" do you labor...?
   a. Is your focus in life on that which is temporary?
   b. Do you strive for that which cannot truly satisfy?
   -- If so, consider what Isaiah wrote 700 years before Christ came Isa 55:1-4

2. Jesus is the true bread of life, the living water, who truly satisfies...
   a. He alone provides the hope of eternal life - Jn 6:40
   b. He alone offers the abundant life even now - Jn 10:11

Though written by Isaiah, these words may serve as the invitation Jesus
offers to all...

   "Why do you spend money for [what is] not bread, And your wages
   for [what] does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat
   [what is] good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
   Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live;
   And I will make an everlasting covenant with you - The sure mercies
   of David." (Isa 55:2-3)             
 
Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Why is Evil Rampant in our Country? by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2019/08/09/why-is-evil-rampant-in-our-country/#more-14359

Why is Evil Rampant in our Country?

Following the horrific mass murders in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, politicians and pundits are asking the same questions, promoting familiar explanations, and making urgent demands that we’ve all heard before.

“One question no one is asking,” raised columnist Cal Thomas is “Why is evil rampant in our country?”

Thomas further explained, “I don’t mean obvious evil like the all too frequent mass murders. There are other evils, which seem to have come from the ‘pit’ and are roaming among us uncontrolled.”

“We seem to tolerate everything these days and oppose controlling what once was called evil behavior,” he observed. “Bad behavior is now considered good and good behavior is thought to be bad. Those who practice good behavior are often labeled with words that end in “-phobe.” Societal norms have been undermined. Normal is what individuals think is true for them.”

Thomas’ conclusion, in the words of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, is that “Men have forgotten God.”

I’m reminded of Moses’ warning to the children of Israel as they stood on the brink of the promised land. “Beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deut 6:11). He knew the danger of them inheriting a land that they didn’t work for, enjoying prosperity, but forgetting it was God who blessed them and provided their material abundance.

In the United States, our money is inscribed, “In God We Trust.” Do we really? Our pledge of allegiance contains the words “One Nation Under God?” Are we? Our actions and attitudes as a nation suggest a painfully negative answer.

During the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, when our nation was torn apart by a Civil War, on March 30, 1863, he issued a Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer. His words ought to serve as a wake-up call for us today.

“And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People?”

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”

“It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

I don’t labor under any illusion that this little blog will be read by politicians who take it to heart. Nor, do I naively think that these warnings will have some dramatic impact on our culture.

However, maybe they will remind all of us who claim allegiance to Christ of who we are. Of what we are to be. Or why we’re here on earth. And of how our lives ought to be transformed by the Word, not conformed to the world around us.

In fact, before we become self-righteous in our finger-pointing of a world that has forgotten God, maybe it’s good to ask, “Have I forgotten God?”

In my quest for success, have I forgotten God?

In my pursuit of pleasure, have I forgotten God?

In my fervor for financial freedom, have I forgotten God?

In my accumulation of material possessions, have I forgotten God?

Does my treatment of other people signal that I have forgotten God?

Does the atmosphere and environment in my home indicate that I have forgotten God?

Even though I’m faithful in church attendance, is it possible that I’ve allowed traditions to replace Truth and have forgotten God?

And in my zeal to promote my political agenda and espouse my patriotic loyalty, could I have misplaced my spiritual priorities and forgotten God?

I can’t control what happens in the White House. The courthouse. Or the houses of Congress. But I can begin in my house. My life. My heart.

May I “set my hope in God, and forget not the works of God. But keep His commandments” (Ps 78:7).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

IS IGNORANCE A VALID EXCUSE? by steve finnell


 https://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/10/is-ignorance-valid-excuse-by-steve.html

 

IS IGNORANCE A VALID EXCUSE? by steve finnell


Can ignorance be claimed as an excuse for rejecting the words of Jesus?

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)

Is it a valid excuse to claim ignorance when denying that immersion in water is essential in order to be saved?

Acts 17:30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

Ephesians 4:18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;(NKJV)

Can men reject water baptism for the remission of sins and be excused because of their hard heart.

1 Timothy 1:13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.(NKJV)

The key here is "formerly" ignorant.  The apostle Paul never denied that water baptism was in order to receive forgiveness.

Galatians 1:6-9 ......9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received let him be accursed. (NKJV)

Can those who claim Jesus as savior and have read the New Testament Scriptures claim ignorance when they deny that water baptism is essential for forgiveness from sin?

Will the ignorance excuse work on Judgment Day?

 

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