1/10/20

WHO IS THE LIAR? BY STEVE FINNELL



WHO IS THE LIAR?  BY STEVE FINNELL


Who is the liar, God or the devil?

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,(NKJV)

God cannot lie.

John 8:44 "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.

The devil is the father of lies.

When Jesus and the apostles spoke, they were speaking the words of God the Father. John 14:10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you  I do not speak on My own authority: but Father who dwells in Me does the works.(NKJV) John 12:49, John 7:16-18  John 16:5-14, John 14:24-26.

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved..(NKJV)

Was Jesus being a liar when He said "He who believe will be saved?" Was Jesus being a liar when He said "He who is baptized will be saved?"

Are those who say baptism is not essential for salvation telling the truth, lying, or simply misunderstanding the words of Jesus?

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (NKJV)

Was the apostle Paul lying when he said some Christians will depart from the faith?

Are those who claim "once saved always saved" telling the truth, lying, or just misinterpreting Scripture?

1 Timothy 4:2-5 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy.....3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain  from food God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the the truth.....(NKJV)

Was the apostle Paul falsifying God's word by pointing out false doctrinal practices?

Are those who forbid people to marry or impose dietary restriction, liars, telling the truth, or honestly misunderstanding the word of God?

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NKJV)

Was the apostle Peter lying when he said repent for the remission of sins? Was the apostle Peter misconstruing the facts when he said be baptized for the forgiveness of sins? Was the apostles Peter in error when he said they would receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit after they received forgiveness from sins?

Are those who claim that the 3000 were baptized because their sins were already forgiven, being dishonest, or are they honestly misinterpreting Scripture?

Romans 10:9 that is you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.(NKJV)

Was the apostle Paul guilty of being a prevaricator when he made as a provision of salvation, believing God raised Jesus from the dead.

Are those who claim men today can be saved like the thief on the cross, even though the thief did not believe God raised Jesus from the dead, lairs, misinformed, or simply in error.

If you were saved like the thief, then were saved without being baptized in water.

If you were saved like the thief, then you are saved without believing God raised Jesus from the dead.

If you were saved like the thief, then you were saved before the new covenant was in force.

If you were saved like the thief, then you were saved before Jesus said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Jesus said that after he was raised from the dead.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE. Jesus and the apostles were speaking for God the Father.

If men contradict the words of Jesus and the apostles, then they are either liars, confused, honestly mistaken, in error, uninformed, accepting men opinions as fact or misinterpreting God's word.

Pure Religion: Keeping Ourselves Unspotted From the World by B. Johnson



Pure Religion: Keeping Ourselves Unspotted From the World

“Pure religion and undefiled before (the) God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
We should always be aware of impurities in our lives and be seeking the Lord to show us how to get rid of them. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1).
All those who have genuine hope of being resurrected with Christ should be in the process of purging themselves. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 Jn 3:2-3).
God will be able to use those who keep themselves unspotted from the world for better works. “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim 2:20-21).
Shall we talk and walk like the world? “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man” (Matthew 15:11).
The Apostle John reminds us that we should not love the world because it is contrary to God’s ways. We have to make a conscious choice between the two. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
If we truly want to have pure religion and be acceptable to God we need to seek those things which are above. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col 3:1-2).
Can we embrace the world and its riches and pleasures and not be contaminated? “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?” (Pro 6:27-28).
Listen to the pleading voice of the father who says to his son, “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction (of the world) that causeth to err from the words of knowledge” (Pro 19:27).
Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.

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

Goodbye Pumpkin Patch by Gary Rose




Some of you may remember the old television show, “kids say the darnedest things” with Art Linkletter. The show was aptly named, for those kids really did say things that made you think about human nature. This picture is just like that: It makes ME think how God changes you; you do new things, think in new ways, interact with others differently – the old stuff, well, you simply do not live like that any longer. The Bible says…


2 Corinthians 5:17 ( World English Bible )
[17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

What things? Well, the Bible has a lot to say about that, but lets just look at a couple of lists.

Galatians 5 ( WEB )
[16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, [21] envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Galatians 5 ( WEB )
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,* or, faithfulness [23] gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
[25] If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. [26] Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

The Bible refers to the way we live as a “walk”. We can either do what we want to do without regard to consequences or try to please God. The first is an “anything goes” lifestyle and the life that wants to follow God is “walking by the Spirit”. Compare the lists, think about the consequences, both now and forever. Make a choice, but be careful, this earthly life won’t be forever.

One more thing… Jesus said:
Matthew 19 ( WEB )
[13] Then little children were brought to him, that he should lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”

You know – The longer I look at that picture, it just makes more and more sense to me! I thank God every day for what he has done in my life.

Goodbye pumpkin patch!

1/8/20

"THE BOOK OF DANIEL" Faith In The Face Of Fire (3:1-30) by Mark Copeland 


"THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

Faith In The Face Of Fire (3:1-30)


INTRODUCTION

1. In Dan 1, we were introduced to three companions of Daniel:
   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego...
   a. Like Daniel, they were young men taken from Judah into captivity
      and trained to serve before the king - Dan 1:6-7
   b. Like Daniel, they were blessed by God and impressed the king
      after their period of training - Dan 1:17-20

2. Dan 3 reveals more about the character of these three young men...
   a. In recounting an incident that has fascinated many, both young and old
   b. Like Dan 1, it illustrates the power of a strong faith in those
      who are young

[This inspiring story, which I like to call "Faith In The Face Of
Fire", begins by describing...]

I. THEIR TRIAL

   A. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO IT...
      1. Nebuchadnezzar's image, and his command to worship it - Dan 3:
         1-7
      2. The accusation against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego- Dan 3:8-12
      3. The king's threat of the fiery furnace - Dan 3:13-15

   B. THE NATURE OF THEIR TRIAL...
      1. To save their situation
         a. They had been promoted over the affairs of Babylon - Dan 3:12
         b. They would lose their position as well as their lives
      2. To sacrifice their conscience
         a. All they needed to do was to conform outwardly
         b. Of course, that would have meant disobedience to God - Exo 20:4-5

   C. WE MAY FACE SIMILAR TRIALS TODAY...
      1. To save our situation, such as:
         a. Our popularity at school, by doing things our peers or
            teacher do not see wrong
         b. Our position at work, by doing that which our boss or
            company requires which may be illegal, unethical or immoral
      2. To sacrifice our conscience
         a. It would be easy to conform outwardly, to "go along with the crowd"
         b. But our conscience would condemn us, and so would God

[Likely we all have been tempted in some way like this.  How did we
react?  How should we have reacted?  How did Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego react?  Let's consider...]

II. THEIR TESTIMONY

   A. THEY DEMONSTRATED FAITH...
      1. In the power of God - Dan 3:16-17
         a. That God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace
         b. If it was His will
      2. In the will of God - Dan 3:18
         a. If it was God's will not to deliver it, so be it!
         b. They would still not worship other gods, nor the gold image!

   B. THEY DETERMINED TO SERVE GOD NO MATTER WHAT...
      1. Like Job in the midst of his affliction - Job 1:20-21; 13:15
      2. Like Habakkuk who would praise God even in suffering -Hab 3:17-19
      3. Like the apostles who rejoiced to suffer in His name - Ac 5:27-29
      4. Like Polycarp who offered this prayer as he was being burned
         at the stake:

        "O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Thy beloved and blessed
         Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge
         of Thee, the God of angels and powers and of all creation and
         of the whole race of the righteous, who live in Thy presence;

        "I bless Thee for that Thou hast granted me this day and hour,
         that I might receive a portion amongst the number of martyrs
         in the cup of Thy Christ unto resurrection of eternal life,
         both of soul and of body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit.

        "May I be received among these in Thy presence this day, as a
         rich and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou didst prepare and
         reveal it beforehand, and hast accomplished it, Thou that art
         the faithful and true God.

        "For this cause, yea and for all things, I praise Thee, I bless
         Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal and heavenly High
         Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, through whom with Him
         and the Holy Spirit be glory both now and for the ages to come. Amen.'
                                      - From The Martyrdom Of Polycarp

[Such examples are truly "Faith In The Face Of Fire"!  This is what it
means to have faith, trust, and commitment to the Lord.  What about our
own personal trials at school or work?  Have we been true to God, no
matter the cost?  Finally, consider...]

III. THEIR TRIUMPH

   A. THE REST OF THE CHAPTER REVEALS...
      1. How they were saved in the fiery furnace - Dan 3:19-25
      2. How Nebuchadnezzar was led to bless the true God - Dan 3:26-39

   B. CONSIDER WHAT THEIR TRIALS BROUGHT THEM...
      1. A new sense of freedom!
         a. They entered bound, but were soon seen "loose, walking"- Dan 3:23-25
         b. The very thing presumed to destroy them, enabled them to walk freely!
         c. So our own trials can be used to set us truly free! - Jm 1: 2-4; Ro 5:3-5
      2. A new source of fellowship!
         a. Note:  There was a fourth person in the fire! - Dan 3:25
         b. The identity of this fourth person is not certain
            1) Some think it was an angel
            2) Others believe it was a Christophany (a preincarnate
               appearance of Christ)
         c. Whichever, it suggested a closer communion and fellowship with God!
         d. So our trials can bring us closer to God
            1) As explained by the author of Hebrews - He 12:5-11
            2) As promised by Jesus Himself - Re 3:12,21; 7:13-17
      3. A new opportunity for service!
         a. They were promoted to even higher positions! - Dan 3:30
         b. Just as Joseph, who in his trials went:
            1) From slave to steward
            2) From prisoner to Pharaoh's second hand man!
         c. So our faithfulness in trials will lead to greater things!
            - Mt 25:21; Re 2:25-27

CONCLUSION

1. What a wonderful example of faith in these three young men!
   a. Committed to serving God, no matter the consequence
   b. Believing that God can bring deliverance, willing to accept death
      if He doesn't
   c. Demonstrating that faith in the face of fire can lead to greater things

2. Let's not overlook perhaps the most important outcome of this
   incident:  glory to God!
   a. Note the praise rendered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon


       - Dan 3:28-29
   b. So our faith (and works) should be to the praise of God - Mt 5:16

3. What kind of faith do we have?  Is it like a....
   a. Spare tire, used only in the case of an emergency?
   b. Wheelbarrow, easily upset and must be pushed?
   c. Bus, ridden only when it goes our way?

May our faith be like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,
committed to serving the Lord and demonstrating "Faith In The Face Of
Fire"!










Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016





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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

























Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star




by Kyle Butt, M.Div.









Who could forget God’s promises to the “father of the faithful?” Not only would God bless all nations through Abraham and give his descendants the land upon which Abraham’s feet had trod, but God also would cause Abraham’s descendants to multiply so that they would be as countless as the stars of the sky. In Genesis 15:5, we read God’s promise to His friend Abraham: “Then He [God] brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ ” The prophet Jeremiah referred to a similar promise that God issued to David, in which He explained that the stars “cannot be numbered” (33:22). Indeed, that the stars are numberless comes as no surprise to those of us who have seen pictures taken from the Moon, or peered into other galaxies through million-dollar telescopes.



Yet, the idea that the stars could conceivably be counted remained firmly planted in the minds of some all the way up until the early 1900s. In chapter 12 of his exciting book, Why the Bible is Number One, Kenny Barfield catalogs a host of ancient, and not-so-ancient, personalities who attempted to count the stars. One such Greek astronomer, Hipparchus, almost two centuries before Christ, went on record in multiple ancient sources with figures anywhere from 800 to 1,080 for the total number of stars. Barfield sites other ancient writers such as Chang Hing, who put the number around 2,500 “not including those which the sailors observe.” The idea that the there existed a fairly small number of stars conceivably countable by humans was quite a prevalent notion.



It is humorous today to compare the actual estimated number of stars to those figures garnered from the ancients. With our modern knowledge we have estimated that there are over 25 sextillion stars (25 with 21 zeros after it)! Indeed, the Bible was correct when it commented that the stars “cannot be numbered.” And, even though the promises to Abraham and David were not uttered with scientific information as their primary concern, it is true that whenever the Bible speaks on such matters, it always is scientifically accurate. What else would we expect from the “Father of lights?”



REFERENCES



Barfield, Kenny (1997), Why the Bible is Number 1 (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock).




















































Tunneling For The Truth by Kyle Butt, M.Div.





















Tunneling For The Truth




by Kyle Butt, M.Div.









Quite often, the Bible will make a very specific remark about a certain person, place, or thing that can be checked against historical and archaeological evidence. Such cases provide an excellent way to build up corroborative evidence in support of the Bible’s accuracy and inspiration. The book of 2 Kings relates the story of King Hezekiah, one of the few kings of ancient Judah who did “what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Kings 18:3). Second Kings 20:20 lists a number of his achievements: “Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah—all his might, and how he made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.” We then read in 2 Chronicles 32:30 that “this same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.” These two verses provide us with a wonderful opportunity to verify the Old Testament’s accuracy. One would think that such a feat of aquatic engineering would leave behind some type of archaeological evidence as a memorial to this king. Is there any extra-biblical information to verify this story?



Indeed there is. Randall Price, in his fascinating book, The Stones Cry Out, catalogs amazing evidence to confirm the tunnel Hezekiah dug underneath the old city of Jerusalem. In fact, on page 267 Price includes a picture of his daughter standing in the actual tunnel. How Hezekiah carved this 1,750-foot tunnel through solid limestone remains a mystery, even today. However, in 1880, an inscription now known as the “Siloam Inscription” was discovered that helped fill in some of the blanks. Apparently, two crews of Hezekiah’s men, working with picks, tunneled from opposite ends, snaking through the limestone in an S-shaped style. How these two crews met in the middle without the aid of a modern compass or other such device is still unknown. However, the fact that Hezekiah built this tunnel leaves no mystery to uncover. Time and time again, the Bible “checks out,” and remains the most accurate and authoritative book ever written.



REFERENCE



Price, Randall (1997), The Stones Cry Out (Eugene, OR: Harvest House).




















































Too Much Activity on Day Six? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





















Too Much Activity on Day Six?






by Eric Lyons, M.Min.







One of the reasons skeptics reject the validity of the biblical account of creation is because they find it impossible to believe that one man could name every single species of animal on the Earth in a single day. Considering there are only 86,400 seconds in a 24-hour period, we are told it is ridiculous to believe that an individual (who had never seen animals before the day he named them) could name several million species of animals in one day. Perhaps over a period of a few weeks he could accomplish such a task, but certainly not in a single day—right?



The problem with such objections to Genesis 2:18-20 is that they are based on assumptions. The question that skeptics often ask, “Could Adam have gathered and named all of the animals on the Earth in one day?,” is misleading because the Bible places certain restrictions on the animals Adam named. Consider the following.


    

  • Adam’s task did not include searching for and gathering all of God’s creatures. Rather, God “brought them” to him (Genesis 2:19). Likely this was in some sort of orderly fashion in order to reduce the amount of time and human energy necessary to complete the process.
    • 

  • Genesis 2:20 does not say that Adam named “all” of the animals on the Earth. The text actually says, “Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.” Excluded from this naming process were sea creatures and creeping things mentioned earlier in the creation narrative (cf. Genesis 1:21,25).
    • 

  • The beasts God brought to Adam are qualified by the descriptive phrase “of the field” (hassadeh). Although the precise limits of the term “field” are difficult to determine, it is possible that it refers only to those beasts living in Eden.
    • 

  • If the beasts of the field were limited to those animals within the boundaries of Eden, then livestock and birds could have been similarly limited. This would greatly reduce the number of animals involved in the naming process, since it is very unlikely that all created animals lived in Eden. [If so, Eden would have been quickly overrun and destroyed.]
    • 

  • Contrary to popular belief, Adam did not name millions of species of animals on day six (cf. Wells, 2001; McKinsey, 2000, p. 84). Genesis 1 states that the animals were created “ according to their kind(s)” (vs. 21), not species. The Bible was written long before man invented the modern Linnaean classification system. The “kinds” (Hebrew min) of animals Adam named on the sixth day of Creation were probably very broad—more like groups of birds and land animals rather than specific genera and species. Adam would have given animals general names like “turtle,” “dog,” or “elephant,” not special names like “pig-nosed soft-shell turtle” or “Alaskan Husky.” As Henry Morris has pointed out,
    • 




...the created kinds undoubtedly represented broader categories than our modern species or genera, quite possibly approximating in most cases the taxonomic family. Just how many kinds were actually there to be named is unknown, of course, but it could hardly have been as many as a thousand (1984, p. 129).



All of these textual considerations suggest that the events of day six could have been accomplished easily within a 24-hour period. Adam did not have to spend a great deal of time pondering what he would call each animal; he was created with the ability to speak and reason. If my two-year-old son can look at a book and call the names of 60 different kinds of animals in 60 seconds, I have no problem believing that Adam, having been created directly by the hand of God and made in His image (see Lyons and Thompson, 2002), had the ability to name hundreds (if not thousands) of birds and land animals in 3,600 seconds (just one hour!).



REFERENCES



Lyons, Eric and Bert Thompson (2002), “In the ‘Image and Likeness of God,’ ” Reason & Revelation, 22:17-32, March & April.



McKinsey, Dennis (2000), Biblical Errancy (Amherst, NY: Prometheus).



Morris, Henry (1984), The Biblical Basis for Modern Science (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).



Wells, Steve (2001), Skeptic’s Annotated Bible [On-line], URL: http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/1cor/index.html















































        

      









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