Recently, I had a great blessing bestowed on me in attending the Good News Tour at the Loma Linda University church. It was a great conference put on by Heavenly Sanctuary.com and it included some wonderful pastors and teachers of the Word of God discussing their favorite subject....the nature and character of God.
I was most impressed with the sermon put together by Dr. Brad Cole titled, "Biblical Inspiration: God’s Pen or God’s Penmen?" I thought it was a wonderful sermon that was thoughtfully presented. Because I hope you find Dr. Cole's sermon as much a blessing to you as I did I have included a link for you to view the sermon. Enjoy!
Biblical Inspiration: God’s Pen or God’s Penmen?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Um, don't start one?
The August 25th edition of Time Magazine includes an article entitled, "How to Stop a New Cold War."
I know! I know!
Don't start one!
Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
We are fortunate, um strike that, blessed beyond measure, that we have a humble and gracious King and Savior who kindly and without condemnation, shows us how it is to be when dealing with those that would mistreat us, deceive us, and other wise persecute us. God Himself came to this Earth and voluntarily allowed Himself to be horribly treated in order to show the true goodness, nature and character of God and just how much God loves His creation. Wow! That's truly awesome to think about frankly.
Mathew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
So let's repeat.
How to Stop a New Cold War? Don't start one.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
One that I just don't quite get
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Sin is the transgression of the law. I get that.
There aren't too many Christians these days that wouldn't be willing to tell anyone that will listen that homosexuality is a sin, and rightly so. Clearly homosexuality is against God's law.
And therein lies the problem.
"We're not under the law anymore, we're under grace." How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said that? "We're not under the law anymore, we're under grace." Well, if we aren't under the law anymore, then how is it even possible that homosexuality is considered a sin?
Let me explain.
It seems it's sheik to say these days that, "We're not under the law anymore, we're under grace." Yet I actually agree with this notion quite a bit. Those that have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are not under the law anymore. Their sins are covered by the blood of Son of God. Now they are under the conviction and direction of the Holy Spirit (of course we have to ask, "What standard does the Holy Spirit use?") to walk in the way of and abide with Jesus. Besides, the law is set-up specifically law breakers, not for those that obey the law.
1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
But what law?
Nowhere in the 10 Commandments can one specifically find a prohibition against homosexuality, or having an affair with one's aunt. Nor does the 10 Commandments make mention of bestiality. I think the 7th Commandment is fairly clear: "Thou shalt not commit adultery. " - Exodus 20:14. In fact, the word used here for adultery means just that, "to commit adultery, always with wife of another" - see Strongs #H5003.
Well, that's confusing. If sin is the transgression of the law and yet I can't find a prohibition against homosexuality in the 10 Commandments, then how in the world can homosexuality be a sin?
Is it something I might find in the Mosaic law? You know, that law that was ' just for the Jews.' Well, after a very brief search I found this one for homosexuality:
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.
I found this one that prohibits having an affair with one's aunt:
Leviticus 20:20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
I found this one that says something extremely negative about bestiality:
Leviticus 20:15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
How then can something not mentioned in the 10 Commandments, and yet mentioned in a law that apparently has nothing to do with Gentiles but "Jews" only, be considered sin? Is it because, as the pat answer seems to be, it's something that was "reiterated" in the "New" Testament?
Few men marry their sisters. Why is that considering there is no prohibition of a man marrying his sister in the "New" Testament? Could it be that's because it's found in the Mosaic law?
People will say and do just about anything to prove that we aren't under the "law" anymore but use that very "law" to conveniently attack a position in an argument they feel quite passionately about.
Yet it is these very arguments that dismantle the very positions they hold about the law and grace.
Whenever I read the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 I try to imagine for a second that it was me caught in the very act of doing a sin worthy of death by stoning. I try to imagine Jesus saying to me, "David, where are your accusers at? Has no man condemned you?"
Jesus came to show us the Father....everything about the Father. His goodness, His mercy, His grace and tenderness. He came to show that to me, and He came to show that in every sinner. Jesus uses the law to show us our weaknesses and our propensity to sin, yet at the same time He doesn't condemn us.
Do we have license to sin? God forbid. Do we have complete freedom to pick and choose which of God's laws we will choose to follow? Sure we do. If we choose the road that's wide and that leads to destruction God will not stop us. Does that mean He stops loving us? God forbid.
Sin is the transgression of the law. I get that.
There aren't too many Christians these days that wouldn't be willing to tell anyone that will listen that homosexuality is a sin, and rightly so. Clearly homosexuality is against God's law.
And therein lies the problem.
"We're not under the law anymore, we're under grace." How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said that? "We're not under the law anymore, we're under grace." Well, if we aren't under the law anymore, then how is it even possible that homosexuality is considered a sin?
Let me explain.
It seems it's sheik to say these days that, "We're not under the law anymore, we're under grace." Yet I actually agree with this notion quite a bit. Those that have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are not under the law anymore. Their sins are covered by the blood of Son of God. Now they are under the conviction and direction of the Holy Spirit (of course we have to ask, "What standard does the Holy Spirit use?") to walk in the way of and abide with Jesus. Besides, the law is set-up specifically law breakers, not for those that obey the law.
1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
But what law?
Nowhere in the 10 Commandments can one specifically find a prohibition against homosexuality, or having an affair with one's aunt. Nor does the 10 Commandments make mention of bestiality. I think the 7th Commandment is fairly clear: "Thou shalt not commit adultery. " - Exodus 20:14. In fact, the word used here for adultery means just that, "to commit adultery, always with wife of another" - see Strongs #H5003.
Well, that's confusing. If sin is the transgression of the law and yet I can't find a prohibition against homosexuality in the 10 Commandments, then how in the world can homosexuality be a sin?
Is it something I might find in the Mosaic law? You know, that law that was ' just for the Jews.' Well, after a very brief search I found this one for homosexuality:
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.
I found this one that prohibits having an affair with one's aunt:
Leviticus 20:20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
I found this one that says something extremely negative about bestiality:
Leviticus 20:15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
How then can something not mentioned in the 10 Commandments, and yet mentioned in a law that apparently has nothing to do with Gentiles but "Jews" only, be considered sin? Is it because, as the pat answer seems to be, it's something that was "reiterated" in the "New" Testament?
Few men marry their sisters. Why is that considering there is no prohibition of a man marrying his sister in the "New" Testament? Could it be that's because it's found in the Mosaic law?
People will say and do just about anything to prove that we aren't under the "law" anymore but use that very "law" to conveniently attack a position in an argument they feel quite passionately about.
Yet it is these very arguments that dismantle the very positions they hold about the law and grace.
Whenever I read the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 I try to imagine for a second that it was me caught in the very act of doing a sin worthy of death by stoning. I try to imagine Jesus saying to me, "David, where are your accusers at? Has no man condemned you?"
Jesus came to show us the Father....everything about the Father. His goodness, His mercy, His grace and tenderness. He came to show that to me, and He came to show that in every sinner. Jesus uses the law to show us our weaknesses and our propensity to sin, yet at the same time He doesn't condemn us.
Do we have license to sin? God forbid. Do we have complete freedom to pick and choose which of God's laws we will choose to follow? Sure we do. If we choose the road that's wide and that leads to destruction God will not stop us. Does that mean He stops loving us? God forbid.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Who is Israel?
For an absolutely riveting video that clearly and concisely demonstrates the Biblical truth regarding the true identity of Israel please click the link shown above. The video is only 13 minutes long, yet those 13 minutes are jam packed with scriptural references and proofs that end this notion that the modern, secular nation state of Israel is the favored nation of God or home to His people.
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