The chapter of Matthew 24 is one of the most misunderstood chapters in the Bible. Most believe that this chapter has to do with our wars, day and age however this is not the case. In fact Billy Graham use to say, “Matthew 24 is knocking at your door.” When trying to understand scripture you must be careful how you apply the message. Trying to make everything in the Bible to fit to these days and times will surely get you into trouble. In this article we will be discussing the first part of the chapter which deals with the destruction of Jerusalem that happened around 70 AD; several years before the United States was a country. It was written by Matthew about the events that would happen in the apostles’ future. It would be helpful for you to read the first part of the chapter in Matthew 24 to understand the article.
The ministry of Christ was in full force. Some Jews believed and began following Jesus however most didn’t. Even the ones that thought it might be possible that Christ was their expected Messiah still went against him. Christ forewarned the apostles and all those present, when you see the abomination of desolation as spoken by the prophet Daniel, meant it was time for them to get out. See Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. The abomination that causes desolation. (cf. Lk 21:20.). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Walt as Bible Study at 10:12 PM EDT
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When you’re a new believer (or even a non-believer), it’s often difficult to understand how God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit can all be one. This is how I reconcile the Trinity for myself. I hope the explanation will help you understand. There is the Godhead (which we know as God). The Godhead, however, has three distinct personalities, if you would, each with it’s own purpose.
God is the creator and the adopter. He has adopted us into His family. We are His children. When we think of Him, it should be as a Father. Fathers (most) love their children unconditionally. They are not always pleased with their children, but they love them unconditionally nonetheless. Consider yourself. You love your children so much, you would do almost anything for them. But there are times when they do things you are not happy about. That doesn't mean you love them any less. It's BECAUSE you love them so much that you want to teach them the right things–you want to give them the best of everything. And in doing so, you know you must reprimand them at times. You do not do this because you are mean. You do this out of love for your children, in order to set them on the right path. When they do things that are wrong (expecially when they're older and no longer under your roof), you will cry for them. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Walt as Apologetics, Jesus Christ at 10:08 PM EDT
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By Thomas E. Brewton
Vengeful anger is spiritual slavery from which we are delivered by Christian love and forgiveness.
Sermons this Sunday and last Sunday at Black Rock-Long Ridge Congregational Church (North Stamford, Connecticut) were based upon Philemon, one of the shortest books in the Bible. These sermons were parts one and two of a three-part series on the subjects of duty, Christian love, and forgiveness.
Pastor Steve Treash focused today upon the need, and the immense benefit, of forgiving and releasing feelings of anger and revenge that too often we nurture when we believe that someone has wronged us. Last Sunday's sermon dwelt upon the paradox of physical slavery and spiritual freedom and of the necessity to face up to wrongs we have done to others.
The book of Philemon is the Apostle Paul's short letter to Philemon, to be delivered to him by his runaway slave Onesimus. Philemon was a well-to-do citizen of Colosse in Asia Minor, in whose home the church founded by Paul met for worship.
Though Paul does not state it explicitly, the probability is that at some earlier time Philemon's slave Onesimus had stolen something from Philemon and run away to Rome, seeking physical freedom. There he had come into contact with and been converted to Christianity by Paul, who was then in chains in a Roman prison. Paul evidently had convinced Onesimus that his Christian duty required him to return to his former master, to confront the wrong done to him, and to make amends.
Paul's letter is a masterly play upon the names Onesimus, which means useful or used, and Philemon, which means loving or affectionate.
Paul writes to Philemon that Onesimus had, by the grace of God, been spiritually transformed:
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
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Posted by Walt as Bible Study at 11:02 PM EDT
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by Patrick Roberts
The secret to knowing Christ is to let Him reveal Himself however He desires. And the secret to knowing any eternal mystery grounded in Christ is to surrender to Him so He can teach us whenever and however He knows is best. When in doubt, the secret to knowing God is to give up our right to know anything about anything.
We will understand Christ’s mind for us when we just let Him be Himself to us. We will press on toward maturity when we no longer esteem ourselves as experts, but rather, humble ourselves as submissive students.
One of the most miraculous things about God’s fellowship with us is that He dwells with us completely on His own initiative. He doesn’t wait for us to deserve or even understand His Presence before He goes ahead and blesses us in this way.
The same thing goes for learning. When we ask the Lord to teach us His mind or how to fellowship with Him, He does not wait around until we start to get a clue on our own. He works in us from the beginning to the end of our faith for our sake as well as for His name’s sake so that He will receive all credit for our spiritual education.
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Posted by Walt as Bible Study, Jesus Christ at 7:56 PM EDT
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Copyright © 2008 Jon Straumfjord
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days … And … the LORD called Samuel. …
Then the LORD said to Samuel: "Behold, … I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken …
So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel … knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD. (1 Samuel 3:1-2,11-12,19-20, NKJV)
Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.
So they … fasted that day, and said there,"We have sinned against the LORD."…
So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
… Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.
So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. (1 Samuel 7:3,4,6,8,9,13,15, NKJV)
… when Samuel was old … he made his sons judges over Israel…. But his sons did not walk in his ways …
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "… Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
But the thing displeased Samuel … And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Sam 8:1,3-7, NKJV)
Samuel (literally "Heard by God"), an Ephraimite (a descendant of Joseph), the son of Elkanah and Hannah, was miraculously conceived as the result of prayer (1 Samuel 1:1-20), and given to the Lord as a gift: he became the Israelite slave of Eli, the High Priest (1 Samuel 1:21-2:11). Since Samuel was neither a Levite nor a priest, he was forbidden from touching any of the holy things within the tabernacle, the tabernacle itself, the altar in front of the tabernacle, and even the curtains of the courtyard around the tabernacle. He was basically relegated to performing such menial tasks as carrying water, getting wood for the fire, tanning hides, and taking out the garbage, and yet, he performed his duties as unto the Lord.
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Posted by Walt as Bible Study at 11:37 PM EDT
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Copyright © 2008 Jon Straumfjord
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. Gilead's wife bore sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. And … the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. Then they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon."
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead,"Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?" (Judges 11:1-7, NKJV)
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them … (Judges 11:11, NKJV)
So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith — twenty cities — and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. (Judges 11:32-33, NKJV)
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead. (Judges 12:7, NKJV)
Jephthah was a warrior, and the son of one of his father's concubines. Because he was also the firstborn son of Gilead, he had some claim to the inheritance of Gilead, at least until his half brothers drove him away. So Jephthah went to live on the border between Israel, and Syria near Damascus, on the outskirts of the territory of Gilead, and began raiding among the towns, cities and territories of the enemies of Israel. Even though it was beneath him to either beg or seek charity, Jephthah had no trouble pillaging the defenseless, and began leading a band of marauders to terrorize the countryside.
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Posted by Walt as Bible Study at 7:40 AM EDT
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Copyright © 2008 Jon Straumfjord
… Manoah's … wife was barren and had no children. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "… you shall conceive and bear a son. … be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For … you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." (Judges 13:2-5, NKJV)
So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD…. as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar — the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. (Judges 13:19-20, NKJV)
So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him … (Judges 13:24-25, NKJV)
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you." (Judges 16:6, NKJV)
Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven. (Judges 16:21-22, NKJV)
… they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them….
Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, "O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!" And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. … he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on … all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. (Judges 16:25, 28-30, NKJV)
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Posted by Walt as Bible Study at 11:09 PM EDT
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Copyright © 2008 Jon Straumfjord
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward…. (1 Samuel 16:13, NKJV)
Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle …
And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits {9 feet} and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, … a coat of mail, … bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. (1 Samuel 17:1,4-6, NKJV)
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.
And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."
But David said to Saul, "… Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God…. The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Sam 17:24,33-37, NKJV)
Then [David] took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and … David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. (1 Samuel 17:40,50,51,54, NKJV)
Immediately after Samuel anointed David to be king, the Holy Spirit came upon David. He had lived a life of faith before he was anointed by Samuel, but he now had a new and more powerful relationship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
Shortly after his anointing, David came into the presence of Goliath, the giant of Gath. The Israelites and Philistine armies had arrayed themselves on opposing hills, with a valley between the two. Since Goliath was a minister of fear and intimidation, he continually displayed his gleaming bronze armor and physical prowess before the armies of Israel, all the time slandering the name of the Lord God of Israel.
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Posted by Walt as Bible Study, History at 7:01 PM EDT
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By Christopher Adamo
The American public, and Christians in particular, are being deluged once again with talk of the thoroughly ambiguous concept of “social justice.” It is, after all, election time. Thus the pseudo religious among us must make their pitch for the Christian vote, on whatever spurious terms they can concoct.
In its raw form, “social justice” merely references the prevailing societal attitudes of the day, relegating any defining standards of right or wrong, good or evil, and moral or immoral to a snapshot of the existing consensus. Biblical principles notwithstanding, “social justice” has throughout time been equally applicable to those crowds shouting “crucify him,” the burning of “heretics” at the stake during the inquisition, and even the holocaust.
It is therefore no great wonder that the “Reverend” Jeremiah Wright, in his venomous and racist rantings against America, would seek refuge under the umbrella of “social justice” when attempting to defend his positions.
In its modern form, it represents a conglomeration of environmental extremism, coupled with the Marxist concept of a government empowered to confiscate the property of one citizen for the purpose of purchasing the loyalty of another. But since the ultimate reality of such false generosity and sanctimony conflicts with foundational Biblical truth, substitute “truths” must be cited in their stead. No less a mutation of reality is sufficient to legitimize socialism or environmental extremism under the guise of “spirituality.”
Possibly the most notable and outlandish example in recent memory is Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s fabricated “scripture” asserting that one must worship the environment in order to worship God. Those who are truly familiar with Scripture know that the first chapter of Romans contains a stern admonition against that very notion. But while few among Pelosi’s ranks have ever had any interest in fact as derived from such dry and rigid source material, their current transparent attempts to redefine Christian citizenship merely represent a continuation of similar sordid efforts over the years.
The stunning collapse of Democrat fortunes in the 1994 elections caused party operatives to realize that they had suffered from an enormous disconnect from mainstream America and its traditional values. But, being thoroughly unwilling to actually embrace or even comprehend those values, liberal Democrats concluded that the only alternative, if they were ever to regain that portion of the electorate, was to offer an alternative set of “values” that might resonate with the American heartland while not conflicting with the liberal socialist agenda.
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Posted by Walt as Politics, Social Issues at 10:38 PM EDT
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