http://www.versebyverseministry.org/ 2010-08-18T19:25:12+00:00 en webmaster@parscale.com Copyright 2010 2010-08-18T19:25:12+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/are_all_the_bibles_promises_applicable_to_all_christians/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/are_all_the_bibles_promises_applicable_to_all_christians/#When:19:25:12Z Are all the promises given in Scripture applicable to all believers or only some?   The short answer is no, not all promises in the Bible are applicable to believers.  In fact, many promises in the Bible are not applicable to believers at all. When God makes a promises in His word, we must examine who He spoke to and what He said before we can know whether those promises will apply to all believers or to a specific group of believers.  All Scripture is useful for instruction and training, as Paul says, and therefore all Scripture has been written for our benefit. On the other hand, that doesn't mean every statement of Scripture is true for us. For example, God spoke specific promises to Abraham at several places in the book of Genesis. God promised to give Abraham a son, and to produce a nation from Abraham's seed, and to give Abraham a land and a name. These promises were given specifically to Abraham, and they are begin fulfilled through the Jewish people. Proper use of scripture requires that we interpret those verses in their context, which means they were promises spoken to Abraham and to his descendants. God's promises included blessing many nations (Gen 22:18) through Abraham, so we know we may receive the fruit of those promises, but that doesn't mean the promises are spoken to us. Consequently, we cannot claim that the promises spoken to Abraham were intended for all believers.   Similarly, God spoke promises to the other patriarchs and to many kings of Israel including David, He spoke promises to Moses and the people of Israel, and He spoke promises to Israel's enemies. Are believers supposed to lay claim to all those promises? If you examine all the promises God has spoken in the Old Testament, there are many that we would never want to claim. For example, God made promises of judgment to many peoples, usually to Israel's enemies. Many of these promises of judgment are found in the book of Isaiah, and after a careful study of that book, you would quickly conclude that God's promises are not necessarily intended to be applied to all believers (nor would you want them!). Whenever we see a promise in Scripture, always ask the following questions: Who did the speaking? Was it God speaking directly or through a prophet or Apostle? Who was receiving the promise? Was the promise given to a certain individual or group (e.g., the Israelites or the Apostles)? Who would benefit from the promise (e.g., just the hearer or others as well)? As you answer these questions, you will find the Scripture's focus either narrowing or expanding. When it narrows, as in the case of Abraham or promises for judgment, then we shouldn't try to expand them.  When the promises expand, as in the case of Jesus' or Paul's teaching in the New Testament, then we should make an appropriate application for our own sake. Let the context of the Scriptures guide your interpretation. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-08-18T19:25:12+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_woman_ever_teach_a_man/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_woman_ever_teach_a_man/#When:23:10:31Z How should I understand Paul's teaching in 1Timothy 2:11-12 concerning women teaching men? Is it ever possible for a woman to teach a man? First, we recommend you read the following article on our website on a similar teaching from 1Corinthians 14: Secondly, Paul's teaching in 1Timothy gives us additional context to consider on this point. While in 1Cor 14 Paul was principally concerned with maintaining proper order in the church service, in 1Tim 2 he is concerned with believers maintaining a proper testimony in the world. In both passages, submission to authority is the essential prerequisite to obtaining the desired outcome. For example, in 1Cor 14, Paul teaches that women are to remain silent when men are teaching, because to do otherwise would be a sign of disrespect and evidence that they were unwilling to submit. Furthermore, in the case of the Corinthian church this behavior had contributed to a disorderly service.  In 1Tim 2, Paul says women may not teach or exercise authority over a man due to God's requirement for male headship within His Church. Here again the issue rests on the Biblical expectation that a woman submit willingly to male authority, in this case so that they may have a good testimony within the church. Based on Paul's teaching, the fundamental question arrises, "Can a woman ever teach men?" First, remember Paul's key concern in 1Tim 2 is that a woman willingly submit to authority in keeping with Christ's decree. So, we arrive at the general principle that women may not hold teaching positions whenever these roles constitute a de facto expression of authority over men, including teaching roles that have responsibility for establishing the normative interpretation of Scripture for the sake of the congregation (i.e., senior pastor, teaching pastor, an elder, a prophet, a curriculum developer for men's studies, etc.).  Given this principle, we could identify several possible exceptions to this rule.  First, women may teach other women or children, including boys who have not reached adulthood (as determined by the customs of that church), because such a role does not require nor imply assuming authority over men in the church. Secondly, a women could teach men privately, as when a man reads a Bible study book written by a woman or when a woman teaches a couples Bible study in her home. In these cases, there is little possibility that her teaching role would be interpreted as an affront to male headship in her church, provided her teaching received the review and approval of church leaders to ensure proper headship is in place.  Finally, it may be permissible under certain circumstances for a woman to teach men in a public setting. Though the safest interpretation of Scripture would conclude that this practice should never be permitted, theoretically a woman could teach men publicly in such a way that she conformed to Paul's teaching (i.e., by conducting her teaching in a way that clearly operated under the authority and headship of a man). For example, the woman could demonstrate her submission to authority by ensuring a male leader was present in the class, who acted as the official leader of the class. Likewise, a woman teacher could show submission to male headship by co-teaching with a male teacher over a class of students that included men. Here again, the male teacher should be clearly identified as the leader of the class and the authority over interpretation of the text. Even taking such precautions, many Bible students would conclude fairly that our last example pushes the boundaries of Paul's instructions and, therefore, shouldn't be permitted. We believe the Bible leaves some room for interpretation on this point (at least to the limits we've outlined), so trust the Spirit to guide your own application.  In every situation, a woman teacher must be able to point to a male church leader who provides headship over her teaching. This male leader would hold final determination of the correct interpretation of Scripture, and he must answer to any concerns over her teaching. Obviously, male teachers should have similar accountability from other men. Every woman teacher should search her own heart to know whether she is willingly submitting to male headship in her church as she serves in her teaching gift. Ultimately, this is the test that the Lord will apply to her ministry at the judgment seat.       Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-08-14T23:10:31+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_to_hoe_a_row/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_to_hoe_a_row/#When:03:42:45Z   This weekend we dismantled the bunk-beds in my son’s room and moved all the furniture around to his liking. Some of the furniture required my husband’s help to move. As he and I finagled a bookcase into a corner of the room, he had to caution me to take it easy pushing. I was surprised, and commented that I wasn’t aware that I was actually contributing that much to the effort. I thought it was significant to realize that I contribute more than I am aware. Let me use two other examples to show you what I’m thinking. When my son was in preschool he had an insightful teacher who was obviously plugged in when God enlightened her to his character. She told me that his main goal in school was to move through the work as quickly as possible so that he could get on with the important thing – playing. The class was finishing a unit on Indians when it became apparent to me how absolutely true this assessment was.  Parents were invited to visit the classroom to view the work the children had done during the unit, including paper bag tee-pees that they had painted with Indian symbols, stripes, animals, etc. I could spot Wil’s from the doorway. It was a big smear of finger-painted mud. He had made just enough effort to say that he participated. The other example I want to share is one of those stories that is handed down and passed around so much that you don’t know whether it has any foundation. It is utterly ridiculous to the point of being both believable and beyond belief.  The story is about a man who sued his car’s manufacturer because his car crashed when he set the cruise control and then climbed into the backseat to make a sandwich. And maybe one more idea while we’re on the subject of cars and cruise control. What about your navigational system? When you tell it where to go, will it drive you there if you contribute nothing to the process? Here’s the Sesame Street application. What do all these stories have in common as they apply to our relationship with God? The answer is… some participation is required, but we have to be careful to apply just the right amount – ease up, but don’t climb into the backseat. I could leave it go right there, but I’ve been thinking about Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Not one of the examples I gave you illustrates the right amount of participation with Jesus. When we take His yoke upon us it is light and easy because He’s bearing all the weight. We get to tag along like a child at his Daddy’s heels, our faces upturned in devoted adoration, and pretend to work with Him. He invites us and includes us and we sweat as we move alongside Him, but we don’t know how to hold the reigns or turn the plow. Make it real. If Jesus had been on the other end of my bookcase, I should have been asking, “Is this right? Do I need to lift now? Am I pushing too hard?” If Wil had been letting Jesus paint through him, he should have been asking, “What color? What shape? What size?” If the man in the car…well, there’s really no hope for that man, but when you turn on your Holy Spirit-navigational system you have to ask, “Left? Right? How fast? How far?”  And you have to steer where He tells you to go.   Do you see it? It is work at rest. Movement without force. Action without striving. Where my Daddy goes, I want to go too. Unfortunately too many of us have lost that tender innocence in our love for our Father and we’ve become independent teenagers off charting our own course and determining our own destinies, captains of our fate. We’ve pushed too hard, rushed through the work, or taken our hands off the wheel and disengaged from the process completely. And forget about a yoke, I’ll plow my own row thank you! All by myself! Well I hate to belabor the point so you’ll have to ponder all this as you walk along the furrow with the Lord. I know my shoes are already getting dusty and I can smell the fresh scent of newly tilled soil. Based on what I’m experiencing I can reassure you that He’ll show you what adjustments you need to make. Just don’t wander off, try to pull ahead, or pick your feet up and hang in the yoke. I’m thinking that would be unproductive.   VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-07-18T03:42:45+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/which_people_will_have_children_in_the_millennial_kingdom/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/which_people_will_have_children_in_the_millennial_kingdom/#When:01:38:20Z   Which people who enter the Kingdom and reproduce to create the unbelievers of that time? Are they Gentiles or Jewish?   Taking all that we have in Scripture together from our Revelation and Isaiah studies, we come to the conclusion that there are believing Gentiles who live to the end of the Tribulation (i.e., the "sheep"), who then enter the Kingdom as natural men. As natural men, they can marry and reproduce just as natural men do today, and their children may or may not become believers themselves just as happens today. This group of people are responsible for repopulating the Kingdom, and they are the source for the unbelieving armies of men who rise up against Christ at the end of Tribulation when Satan is let loose (Rev 20:7-8). We also know that at the end of Tribulation, a separate group of orthodox Jews are brought to faith in Christ and form the remnant of Israel who is saved on the last day (i.e., Zech 12:10; Rom 11:25-27; Isa 59:20-60:4). We also know that in the Kingdom, the Jewish nation is described as consistently entirely of believers (i.e., Jer 31:34). So, the more difficult question is whether the Jewish nation also has natural men in it, who may reproduce and have children? Looking at one of the passage quoted above (Isa 59:20-21) and in Isaiah 68:18-23 we find references to descendants or offspring, leaving us to wonder whether the Jewish remnant that comes out of the Tribulation will also enter the Kingdom in natural bodies.  In our Revelation teaching (recorded in 2005), Pastor Armstrong taught that the Jewish remnant that enters the Kingdom will receive new bodies during the 75-day interval, based on passages like that found in Isaiah 25 that seem to suggest the nation of Israel is entirely regenerated and not given to marriage and reproduction. In recent years his teaching has stepped back from a firm commitment to this position, especially in light of passages in Isaiah 68 and elsewhere that suggest Jewish reproduction. Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministies believes that the Jewish remnant that enters the Kingdom from Tribulation are like the Gentile believers: they are natural men, and therefore they will reproduce.  Unlike the Gentile believers, however, Fruchtenbaum believes that based on the promises found in Jeremiah 31:34 and elsewhere, every Jewish child is assured to come to faith during their lifetime, since God promised the nation they would have no unbelievers in the Kingdom. Obviously, this is a difficult area of Old Testament prophecy, and depending on how you view the various texts in Isaiah, you may believe that either all Jewish are resurrected into a new, incorruptible form (and therefore can't reproduce), or you believe that some Jews enter the Kingdom in natural form and reproduce, but then all Jewish children become believers by the power of the Spirit. Our ministry is unsure of which is intended in Scripture, though we teach the former view as the more likely intent of Scripture overall. Finally, the book we discuss in the course in Footsteps of the Messiah. Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2010-07-16T01:38:20+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/am_i_part_of_the_jewish_remnant/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/am_i_part_of_the_jewish_remnant/#When:01:33:11Z   I just found out that my ancestors were Jewish. Is it possible that The LORD is leaving a remnant without them knowing it? Could a lot of people who think they're Gentile actually be Jewish and be part of the remnant?   The remnant of Israel is the "believing" and faithful element among all Jews. In the days prior to Christ, the remnant were best described by the Lord Himself in 1Kings 19, when He said to Elijah in 1Kings 19:18: Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him. In Elijah's day, those who had not "bowed to Baal" were the faithful remnant of Israel. They were the remnant because they held to God's Law and did not engage in the idol worship which dominated Israel in that day. Now that the Messiah has been revealed in Person of Jesus Christ, the faithful remnant of Israel will be those Jews who have come to know Jesus as Messiah and become part of the Church. Though these Jews are now joined with Gentiles in the Body of Christ, they are also Jews and therefore are the remnant. Paul speaks of the Jews who have come to faith in Christ as the remnant of Israel in Romans 11:5: In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. Who then can be considered a part of this Jewish remnant? A Jew is anyone who is descended from Abraham, so the Israelites maintained scrupulously accurate genealogies to establish who was a Jew. These records were held in the Temple, but following the destruction of Israel's records in AD70, the Jews have determined who is Jew by the identity of the mother.  Simply put, you are considered Jewish if your mother was Jewish. If a Jewish man marries a Gentile woman, then her children are no longer considered Jewish. In your case, you would be considered Jewish (and hence a part of the remnant) if you had a Jewish mother and were a practicing (religiously orthodox) Jew prior to your conversion to Christianity. Otherwise, you are a Gentile despite having Jewish ancestors. To the larger question of how the lost tribes of Israel are accounted in this day and in the future, we do not believe these tribes will be "found" among the Gentiles. The lost tribes continue to exist today among the practicing Jews of the world. Otherwise, they are no longer Jewish.  Remember, a Jew must continue to marry within the Jewish nation to be considered Jewish and to remain eligible for the promises (Deut 7:1-12). Instead we believe these lost tribes are still scattered among the practicing Jews in the world, though they themselves may be unaware of their tribal affiliations.  Once the Spirit begins to work with the Jewish people again during Tribulation, then the tribes will re-emerge again to create the 144,000 evangelists. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-07-16T01:33:11+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_gambling_a_sin/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_gambling_a_sin/#When:01:26:02Z   Is gambling (whether online or in a casino setting) sinful or immoral?   The Bible is silent on many practices of daily life, because life is filled with an infinite variety of circumstances. Nevertheless, the Bible does present principles for living righteously, so that we can make reasonable inferences and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in specific circumstances. The topic of gambling is an example of one such activity that must be addressed on principle. The Bible is silent on whether gambling is wrong. At times, the Bible shows ungodly men participating in gambling (e.g., Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothing in Matt 27:35). On the other hand, the Bible also shows times when godly people relied on an ancient form of gambling to discern God's will concerning a decision (e.g., when the Apostles cast lots or dice to determine who should replace Judas in Acts 1:26). So, the simplest answer to your question is that the Bible never explicitly states that gambling is a sin, and therefore we must conclude that a Christian has liberty with regard to this practice. A Christian might attend a friendly poker game with friends, where real money was used and the stakes were relatively modest. A Christian might also go to a local resort and spend money playing slot machines for entertainment. A Christian might even travel to Las Vegas and participate in a blackjack tournament for large winnings. All these activities are amora (i.e., not sinful) in and of themselves. But the chief principle we must consider is the one Paul summarizes in 1Cor 10:23: All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. In other words, is gambling a profitable activity for a Christian? In many cases - perhaps in the majority of cases - the answer would be no. While the simple past time of playing a card game is not immoral or sinful, these activities do not exist in a vacuum. They are part of an environment and culture that brings with it many other potential sins. For example, most casino gambling encourages - even depends upon - a love of money, and the Bible clearly teaches that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1Tim 6:10). When a Christian gambles, is he pursuing a love of money and thus sinning? Secondly, casinos often feature various ungodly displays or undress that tempt men and women into lust and debauchery. Some casinos include an established practice of prostitution and some are associated with organized crime. Even in more innocent settings like the neighborhood poker game, gambling can be accompanied by excessive alcohol use, course language, gossip, and many other kinds of ungodly behavior. Our participation in gambling may not be sinful in itself, but we must carefully consider the full scope of our participation before deciding if our participation will be free from sin. Can we be sure that we won't be tempted to fall into a love of money? Can we sure we won't engage in other forms of sinful behavior due to the influence of the setting or people around us? Can we be certain that our participation isn't lending our financial support directly to institutions that promote ungodliness as a part of their business? And what of our Christian witness to others in the faith who know of our gambling as Christians? While gambling may not be sinful by itself, it brings with it many potential pitfalls that do not edify the believer, and therefore we strongly recommend every believer give much thought and prayer before engaging in any gambling activity, including playing lotteries or participating in friendly poker games with the buddies. These activities are not sin by themselves, but they often bring sin into our lives in other ways, and gambling must be approached with great caution if we are to avoid falling into sin. Bible Questions & Answers, Personal Liberty 2010-07-16T01:26:02+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_do_i_know_for_sure_i_am_saved/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_do_i_know_for_sure_i_am_saved/#When:01:19:36Z   In John 3.3 Jesus said that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. In 1Pet.1.3, Peter says God has given us new birth. How does a personknow for sure that he is already born again according to what Jesus says?   Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus in John 3:3: Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one  is born  again he cannot see  the kingdom of God.” Also, the Lord through Peter said in 1Pet. 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who  according to His great mercy  has caused us to be born again to  a living hope through the  resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, The phrase “caused us to be born again" is referring to the same spiritual new birth that Jesus spoke about in John 3. It is the spiritual renewal caused by the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person so they may become a follower of Jesus Christ and join into the body of Christ, the Church. Being “born again” is also the same as becoming a “new creation” and becoming a “new creature in Christ," as Paul describes it in 2Cor 5:17. In short, being "born again" means receiving a new spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. All who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior have been born again. This new birth is necessary because until we have been born again, we are by nature opposed to God and unable and unwilling to know Him truly. The sinful nature of man was introduced through the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden, as told in Genesis 2 and 3. In Genesis 2:16-17 we read: The LORD God  commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not  eat, for in the day that you eat from it  you will surely die.” The statement: “you will surely die” means to die spiritually. Due to Adam's sin, they died a spiritual death, which is not the same as dying physically. Physical death came later as the result of God's curse on the Earth and all things in it (see Genesis 3:17). Since Adam, every human ever born has come into the world sharing the same fallen nature inherited from Adam. We are all born spiritually dead (see Romans 3:10-18). Jesus Christ was not born with the nature of Adam, because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, so His nature was not sinful. He was the Word made flesh and dwelt among us. Though he was not under the penalty of death Himself,  nevertheless He willingly died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin. By our faith and trust in that sacrifice, we are given His Spirit and made new again spiritually - we are born again or spiritually reconnected to God. The Apostle John teaches how we might know that someone has truly come to be born again in 1John 2:3-6: By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “ I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and  the truth is not in him; but whoever  keeps His word, in him the  love of God has truly been perfected.  By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he  abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. John is not suggesting that the evidence of our new birth will be a perfect sinless life, since this is not possible for any man until we receive our new, sinless body at the resurrection of the saints (1Cor 15). Instead, John is explaining that the new birth will be accompanied by new thinking and new living, in conformance with Jesus' word. If you have doubts as to whether you have understood and believed the Gospel (so as to be born again), please read this article on How to Become a Christian: Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-07-16T01:19:36+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_did_god_want_to_create_man/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_did_god_want_to_create_man/#When:01:15:01Z   Why did God want or need a relationship in the first place? I understand that God is all powerful, knowledgeable, and any other attributes you could assign to Him, so why did He need man? He spent endless "time" existing before man. Why create us now?   While Scripture does not explicitly answer this question, we can find helpful answers in well-known statements of theology, which are backed by Scripture. For example, the Westminster Confession answers your question as follows:  “What is the chief end of man?  Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”  The Confession cites the following as supporting Scriptures:  Psalm 86; Isaiah 60:21; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 16:5-11; Psalm 144:15; Isaiah 12:2; Luke 2:10; Philippians 4:4; Revelation 21:3-4.  We agree with the Confession here, and would add that we believe that God desires a relationship with man so He may be glorified (please refer to above Scriptures) and to allow Him to demonstrate all of His perfect attributes to an audience that can appreciate them.  In the demonstration of God’s character through these attributes, we come to know and glorify God. For example, Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. Notice that God desires us to understand and know Him, and part of this knowledge is in what He does and who He is.  If we understand and know someone, we know what they are like, what kind of person they are.  God likewise desires a close, intimate relationship with us whereby He can make Himself known. God even endures the existence of sinful creatures who were prepared for destruction in order to demonstrate His power, wrath and justice.  Romans 9:22-24 says: What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. Of course, this also demonstrates His great love and mercy for us who are called. So, we see that God desires for us to know Him, to know His character, and to understand Him.  We come to know Him as He reveals His personal attributes, including His love, mercy, grace, justice, and wrath. While we may not have a totally clear answer in this life as to why God created us, it’s something to which we can look forward to asking Him in heaven.  For our time on this earth, may our Lord God continue to empower us to bring Him glory and honor in everything we do.  As we’re commanded in 1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.   Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-07-16T01:15:01+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/are_some_false_religions_unreachable/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/are_some_false_religions_unreachable/#When:01:10:31Z   Pastor Armstrong taught it was hard to evangelize certain other religions because thay think their good works get them to Heaven. Isn't it all up to God to determine who is saved? I am a little confused please help.   As your question implied, Scripture teaches that all men are born dead in sin, unable to truly seek God and forever opposed to Him by our nature. Only after God brings about a new spiritual birth will anyone respond in faith. In Romans Paul explains this Biblical reality in careful detail, and he teaches that grace is most clearly understood as the way God brings us to faith while we are lost in our sin. This fact gives rise to numerous questions. For example, what place does evangelism play in bringing others to faith? Can we influence God's choice in bringing someone to faith? What purpose do our evangelistic efforts serve? Pastor Armstrong teaches on many of these points during the course of his Romans study, but we can summarize them for you here: First, God is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2), and as such, He alone is responsible for our salvation. Simply put, men are saved if (and when) God chooses to save them (Eph 2:8-9). Nevertheless, God has purposed to work through the efforts of men to spread the Gospel and bring others to know Him (Matt 28:19-20). The Great Commission is fundamentally an expression of how Christ will build His Church through the work of believers. If we accept these truths, we come to the conclusion that our participation in spreading the Gospel is intended for God's glory and for our own blessing, yet our participation in evangelism is not essential to God's purposes in saving men nor do we share any of His glory when we participate obediently in bringing others to faith. Pastor Armstrong often uses an analogy of an Easter egg hunt to explain the relationship between God's sovereignty in salvation and our responsibility to spread the Gospel. In his analogy, Pastor Armstrong describes the unbeliever as an egg hidden in the world waiting for someone to discover it.  The Bible says that God the Father sovereignly decides who will receive the Gospel, which may be compared to the way a parent decides how many eggs are available and where they are hidden in the yard. Our world is littered with hidden "eggs" (i.e., future believers) waiting to be found. We find them by obeying the Great Commission.  The Father is constantly working by His Spirit in the world to prepare hearts to receive the Gospel, and these "eggs" are ours for the taking if we seek after them (John 4:35). Like a child who runs around the yard eagerly searching for eggs, we should work eagerly to fulfill Christ's commands so that we might have the opportunity to "discover" the next believer. When we come across a heart made ready by God's Spirit, we have found an egg, and we will see a positive response to the Gospel (John 6:44). Our enthusiasm to spread the Gospel should stem from our confidence that God has placed hearts in the world ready for the gospel, so we know if we look long enough, we will find success. In this sense, God's sovereignty in salvation is our reason TO evangelize (rather than an excuse NOT to seek the lost), because we have confidence that the "eggs" do exist somewhere. In the Easter egg hunt, the children don't determine how many eggs exist, but they can influence how many each child may collect. Likewise, we don't determine the souls to be saved by God's grace, but we can influence how many may believe through the diligent practice of our faith, and if we are faithful to seek after these "eggs," we gain the praise and reward of our master for that faithful service. To summarize, we actively participate in seeking the lost by proclaiming the good news of the Gospel and discipling the saved because our Lord commanded us to do so. We serve Him obediently in these ways in expectation of success because we know He has purposed to work through men to bring the lost to faith, and because we understanding we have opportunity to gain reward for our faithfulness. In the end however, the number who will be saved was determined by God's choice from the foundations of the earth (Eph 1:4). Lastly, you raised a good point in questioning Pastor's Armstrong's comments regarding his difficulty evangelizing to certain groups.  Fundamentally, you are correct that God may choose to save anyone, so no group is outside His will to bring them to faith. Pastor Armstrong didn't intend to suggest that any group is less able to be saved. On the other hand, it is Pastor Armstrong's experience that certain religious groups can be particularly resistant to the Gospel, which may be a reflection of God's desire to leave some in disobedience and ignorance. Nevertheless, Verse By Verse Ministry is no less committed to delivering the Good News to every person possible, since we do not presume whom the Lord is prepared and willing to grant mercy. Pastor Armstrong continues to teach to any group in the hope that he might discover another "egg" there, and he thanks you for bringing this point to his attention. He intends to correct his presentation on this point in the future. Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2010-07-16T01:10:31+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_should_a_christian_approach_the_sabbath/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_should_a_christian_approach_the_sabbath/#When:00:59:32Z   In what ways can a Christian use the Sabbath day?   Regarding the Sabbath, scripture teaches that the Sabbath was given to the nation of Israel as a perpetual observance (Ex 20:8-11). It occurs from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. The Sabbath is a commandment for Jews alone. There is no Sabbath commandment found in the New Testament for the New Covenant believer. In the way it was given to the Jewish nation, the Sabbath day rest was a picture or shadow of Christ. Just as God did all the work of Creation and then rested, likewise He has done all the "work" necessary for our salvation, and therefore we now rest in Christ's work through His sinless life and death on the cross. This is why we can say that Christ has become our perpetual rest and thereby fulfilled the Sabbath. Today, a believer enjoys a Sabbath everyday as we rest in Christ perpetually (see Heb 4:10). For any believer who has accepted Christ as His Savior, he now enjoys a Sabbath everyday. He has ceased from his work in trying to achieve righteousness, and instead he may see every day as one to serve Him through the grace of the New Covenant. Christians are under no obligation to observe a Sabbath day of physical rest nor any "Sabbath" ritual since the Sabbath commandment was given to Jews in the Mosaic Law and that law has been fulfilled in Christ on our behalf. We can now rest in His work through faith. Every believer enjoys the freedom that comes from this liberty, so you may use everyday of the week in any way you see fit in serving the Lord. You may chose to set one day aside for rest or none. No man is to be your judge concerning these things, since all believers are free to exercise any patterns for living they chose (Col. 2:16-17). If you would like to read more about the Christian's relationship to the Law in our three-part article On Law and Liberty. Bible Questions & Answers, Personal Liberty 2010-07-16T00:59:32+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/gods_will_vs._mans_will/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/gods_will_vs._mans_will/#When:00:52:06Z   In various teachings you discuss how we have a sovereign God Who has every detail of life planned. If God has every detail of your life planned to the finest detail, where does our free will fit in?   The question of how God's sovereignty and man's will work together is challenging to any Bible student, but we can rest in what the Bible teaches and leave the rest to God.  First, we know that the Bible never mentions man's "free will."  In fact the words never appear in Scripture, because the Bible teaches the opposite. The Bible teaches that men are born "slaves" to sin (Rom 6:17; Gal 4:8), which means we are incapable of moving beyond our sinful nature on our own. Furthermore, the Bible says that through faith God delivered us from sin and into a relationship with Christ, which Paul describes as slavery to Christ (Eph 6:6). In other words, we have a will to make our own choices, but that will is not free in the full sense of that word. Our nature determines the choices we make, and we are only free to make choices consistent with our nature.  As an unbeliever, we were slaves to a sin nature and we were unable to do or say or think anything that might please God (Heb 11:6). So we didn't have the will to live without sin, so in that sense we were not truly free. All unbelievers are without free will in the sense that they are all slaves to their sin (Rom 16:18). After being brought to faith by the Spirit, we were given a new nature that is no longer a slave to sin (Gal 4:7), but now we are slaves to Christ (Rom 6:18). Again, we have a degree of freedom to choose disobedience or obedience, but we are still Christ's regardless of our decisions, and as such God may use us however he desires.  Though we are not necessarily conscience of God's direction in our lives, the Bible assures us that God's plan will play out in our life without fail (Job 14:1-5; Psa 37:23; Prov 16:9). Having said that, there is a role for our will in the course of God's plan for our life.  Our willful obedience to the Lord is the basis for His awarding of eternal reward. Romans 12-16 discusses the importance of our obedience to the Lord as we make choices and decisions to follow the Spirit. Nevertheless, when we determine to accomplish good works for the Lord, we are still fulfilling God's purposes as He determined from the beginning of time (Eph 2:10). So our will is important in how we obey Christ to please Him, but we can never see man's will as competing with or changing God's plan. We simply do not have that power within us. We have a teaching series devoted to exploring God's sovereignty in the lives of men, called the Sovereignty of God. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-07-16T00:52:06+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_christians_charge_one_another_interest/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_christians_charge_one_another_interest/#When:19:38:55Z   Is it a sin to charge other Christians interest on money borrowed? Leviticus says charging 10% interest is a sin. There are several places in Scripture where God speaks specifically about lending money and charging interest, including Leviticus.  Here is a sample of what the Lord says in His word: You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious. (Exodus 22:21-27) Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave's service. He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee. He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers. For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. As for your male and female slaves whom you may have--you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. (Leviticus 25:35-44) You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess. (Deuteronomy 23:19-20) LORD, who may abide in Your tent?  Who may dwell on Your holy hill?  He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent He who does these things will never be shaken. (Psalm 15:1-5) He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. (Proverbs 28:8) But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period--if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully--he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 18:5-9) But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. (Matthew 25:26-27) First, as you can see, Scripture does not give a specific number with respect to how much a person should charge for interest. Therefore, lending money at 10% would not necessarily be considered a sin under the Mosaic Law. Second, note that the commandment is to not charge interest to God’s people; charging interest to foreigners was acceptable (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19-20). From the above passages, then, we see that lending money with interest to fellow Jews (“countrymen”) would be sinful for a Jew under the Mosaic Law, but lending interest to a foreigner would not be sinful. As Christians, however, we are not under the Mosaic Law. Rather, we are under the Law of Christ (1Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2). While there is significant overlap in the Mosaic Law and the Law of Christ, there is no specific commandment in the New Testament to refrain from charging our brother or sister interest. However, we would strongly suggest that not only should Christians not charge each other interest, we should do what we can to help our brother in need. As we look at these instructions in the Old Testament in context, God is shown to be concerned with the plight of the poor and particularly with the poor not receiving needed assistance from their brethren. If a poor Jew suffered a bad crop or if he became ill or suffered a financial loss, he might not have enough income to support himself or his family. Under those circumstances, he would be expected to turn to his countrymen for a loan to get him through a difficult time. If his Jewish brethren charged him interest on the loan, especially a usurious rate (i.e., a very high rate of interest), it would only hasten the poor Jew's to fall into poverty.   Concern over such circumstances is the basis for God’s commandment, which can be seen most clearly in Leviticus 25:35-36:   Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. Likewise, Christians are called to assist our poorer brothers and sisters in Christ by being generous with what we have.  Paul, writing to the Galatians about his mission to take the gospel to the Gentiles, says this: They [the apostles in Jerusalem] only asked us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do. (Galatians 2:10) James 2:1-13 probably gives us one of the best explanations as to why we should help our poor brother or sister in need. My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.  For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?  5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” As you can see, James tells us to fulfill the “royal law," which he says is loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.  By doing so, we are fulfilling the law of liberty (i.e., the law of Christ).  This means we are to “speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty," which means we are to show mercy to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Note that our judgment will not be for condemnation (Romans 8:1), but for reward (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). While there is no prohibition in Scripture to charging interest under ordinary circumstances (Jesus even indicates this in Matthew 25 above), we should act with greater sensitivity and compassion when loaning money to poor believers who are in need. Generally speaking we should loan money with no interest or even make the loan a gift with no expectation of repayment. This is not to say we may never loan money and charge interest to a poor person, but we should look for ways to demonstrate charity and love for fellow believers rather than look for ways to enrich ourselves.   Jesus teaches this principle in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). In answering the question “Who is my neighbor?", Jesus taught that anyone who needs our help is our neighbor, and more importantly, Jesus showed us what loving our neighbor looks like. The Samaritan didn't know the injured man in the parable, yet he gives the man whatever he needs to care for his needs.   That is an example of loving our neighbor as we love ourselves, for surely we would want someone to help us in the same way if we were the injured man in the parable.  Likewise, if we have the opportunity to lend money to a poor Christians who and has fallen on hard times, would it be loving to charge that person interest? What we would want if we the one in need?  By choosing to serve the needs of others above ourselves, we too can demonstrate the love of Christ exemplified by the Good Samaritan.  Selflessness gives glory to God and may even become an opportunity for God to bring someone into His kingdom through a demonstration of Christ's love.   Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2010-06-18T19:38:55+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/keep_your_gold_watch/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/keep_your_gold_watch/#When:00:04:28Z   On the way home from school this morning, my local Christian radio DJ told a story that I’m going to shamelessly borrow, because the picture he painted with it (though sound-byte brief) was great. I’ll get to that in a minute. First let me tell you that it has been my very great privilege over the past couple of weeks to reconnect with an old friend. I have been dumbfounded by the way God has orchestrated this reunion at the perfect time, and how He has drawn my friend toward Him, and how He positioned me – the worst of sinners – to be able to speak a word of encouragement to her, to tell her about God’s promises and the wonder of walking with Him. As my friend and I have conversed, one of my main concerns has been to paint a realistic picture of what it means to give your life to Christ. I don’t want it to be a deceptively rosy picture of ease and comfort that would be contrary to the Word. There is a violence in our salvation that can not be denied. To pick up your cross and follow Him is no small thing - enter my DJ’s story. The DJ on my radio told a story of how he had been in a doctor’s office waiting room with an older man, who had served in the Navy for 20 years (hats off!). The man confessed to the DJ that he didn’t really like his time in the service, but nudging the DJ with his elbow he said with a grin, “But the retirement is great." It is, isn’t it? For us I mean. Just as this man didn’t always like the work he did defending what he believed in, we don’t always enjoy what is required of us in order to bear the name “little Christ." God never promised that it would be easy or that we would always like the path He leads us down, but the retirement is beyond description. Consider these Biblical contrasts: John 16:33 says: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Matthew 5:11-12 says:  "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 19:29 says:  “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Those are just a few. And then consider these nuggets: Revelation 20:11:  “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” Revelation 21:1- 4:  “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:23-25:  “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.” As I talk with my friend about what it means to surrender to God, these are the things I want her to know. It’s a long hard walk in the mud up to your ankles, but the rewards are so much more than your service can earn. There are days when you’ll wonder what exactly you signed up for (and if you don’t have those days you might want to check your walk to see if it has wandered). Some days feel like you’re in boot camp with no end in sight. It takes all your effort to maintain the posture, to run the next mile, to slug through the slough, to not just lie down and give up. On those days you can remember our soldier friend and what he discovered about his retirement package - and then remember your own. No more death. No more crying, no reason to. A hundred times as much reward as what it cost us. God with us – Emmanuel – in the flesh.  Light, glorious light, and no more darkness. So, I’ve gotten preachy as I tend to do when the promises of scripture take over. One more thought. What was the last great hurt you felt? When were you recently disappointed? Did your bones ache when you got up this morning? Do the mundane tasks of your day seem pointless or beyond your ability to manage? Are you feeling unloved, unappreciated, unworthy, useless? The promises of God tell you that it will all be over soon and what you have waiting on the other side of this life is the antithesis to all that in a degree that can’t be measured.  That’s enough for me to take one more step and shout ‘oorah’! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” 1 Peter 1:3-6 “For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:37 Hallelujah! Keep your gold watch; I have a better retirement package! (Dedicated to the memory of all our ‘retired’ heroes who paid the ultimate price for our lives and way of life.)   VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-06-06T00:04:28+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_exodus_saul_and_purim/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_exodus_saul_and_purim/#When:21:14:45Z The story of the Exodus from Egypt is found (not surprisingly) in the book of Exodus. The story of Saul, the King of Israel, is found in 1 Samuel. The story of Purim is found in the book of Esther. These three stories are inextricably entwined in ways that may not be readily evident.  Let’s examine Scripture and see what we can find. Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.  So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.  But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.  So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”  Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; and he said, “The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”   (Exodus 17:8-16) Note that it does not say that Israel will have war against Amalek but that “The LORD” will have war against them.  Why?  Because Amalek sought to destroy G-d’s bride, Israel. Where do we see this war surface again? Consider the story of Saul… Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.  He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. (1 Samuel 9:1) Saul was the son of a Benjamite named Kish.  Saul becomes king over Israel and is then given an assignment by Samuel the prophet of the LORD: Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.  Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt.  He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night. Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.” Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.”  But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”  Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”  Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”  Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’  Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.”  But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.  So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”  Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”  So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.  Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”  But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.  (1 Samuel 15:1-33) Agag was the king of the Amalekites.  Here we see once more the LORD had war against Amalek. What then does this have to do with the story of Purim?  The book of Esther tells us this: Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.  He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.  (Esther 2:5-7) So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.  (Esther 2:16-17) Here we find that Mordecai, the hero of the story of Purim, is a descendant of Kish… just like Saul!  His adopted daughter, Esther, becomes the bride of the king.  A familiar pattern is beginning to emerge… After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.  (Esther 3:1) When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.   (Esther 3:5-6) Here we see Haman, a descendant of Agag (the king whom Saul spared), seek to destroy all the Jews.  Once more the Amalekites are attempting to destroy G-d’s bride, Israel. Mordecai calls upon the wife of the king to seek deliverance: Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”  (Esther 4:13-14) Esther heeds Mordecai’s words and seeks the mercy of the king. Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request; for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king.”  Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do thus?”  Esther said, “A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.  (Esther 7:3-6) So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided. (Esther 7:10) Even though Haman was killed, his evil plot to destroy the Jews was still in place.  The king then empowered the Jews to fight against that plan and defend themselves. In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar).  (Esther 8:11-12) Mordecai is lifted up (much like Joseph) to be ruler over the land. For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation. (Esther 10:3) For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them.  But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.  Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually.  (Esther 9:24-27) We see that in Exodus the Amalekites sought to destroy the bride of G-d and they were defeated. Saul, a son of Kish, was commanded to destroy the Amalekites but was disobedient and spared Agag. A descendant of Agag, Haman, sought again to destroy the bride of G-d (and the bride of King Ahasuerus) but it was through the plans of another son of Kish, Mordecai, that Haman was defeated. Thus we see the Exodus, Saul, and Purim are all linked… it is a story of G-d’s people… His Bride… us. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.  (1 Tim 1:17) VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2010-05-31T21:14:45+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/dangling_cords/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/dangling_cords/#When:00:52:10Z   I have a friend whose home was burglarized a few weeks ago. She and her little boys were coming in from school, and as they entered the kitchen through the garage, she happened to glance into the family room and notice the absence of their flat screen TV, its cords dangling from the wall outlet. In the wake of that split second where she examined the possibilities and landed on the truth, she grabbed her boys and fled. You can flee a scene like that but it never really leaves you. It is a violation of the most personal sort; a violence to your peace. When you study the etymology of the words violate and violence you find at their root the idea of impetuous, irreverent injury that has the effect of irreparable harm. As I have prayed for her and her family I’ve begun to realize that most of us have been burglarized in ways we may not even understand. We have suffered the violence of impetuous, irreverent, irreparable injury. Have you ever left the house of a morning feeling fine and blessed and happy only to get on the road in front of a guy in a giant gas-hogging SUV who would apparently like to ride to work with you via your trunk? By the time he careens around you at break-neck speed he’s left you with nothing but dangling cords where your feelings of well-being were concerned. Have you ever taken special time and effort to dress up for a date with your spouse, only to have your teenaged daughter quip, “You’re wearing THAT?!” Or arrived at work feeling pretty good about having gotten there at all considering how many breakfasts and lunches you just made, permission slips you signed, last minute homework you reviewed, and carpool lines you sat in, only to discover that you’re wearing two different colored shoes (because you were interrupted 14 times while trying to decide)? Yep. You’ve been robbed of your confidence and left with a giant gaping hole of self-doubt and humiliation. Maybe today you had a “near-miss” in your car or at the Doctor’s office that has stolen your sense of security and left fear and uncertainty in its place. Maybe someone having a bad day themselves has cheated you of kindness with a sharp word instead. Maybe a boss has deprived you of recognition for your hard work and loyalty. It’s the little things that give us a common understanding of the feeling of violence. You have your own stories of violent loss at the hands of someone with impetuous irreverence for what was stolen from you. Those common stories make us kindred spirits with my friend who was left with nothing but dangling cords. Maybe as we all consider this today it will cause us to think carefully about our words and deeds. Hopefully it will increase the value we have for those things we take from others without a thought – things like confidence, hope, encouragement, self-satisfaction, and happiness. In this world, such things are tenuous and treasured. If we could insure them for their replacement value we certainly would. But I can steal them from you without a care, walk away, and never know that I too have left you with dangling cords. VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-05-02T00:52:10+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_list/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_list/#When:03:02:10Z   Have you ever gotten one of those medical bills in the mail? You know the ones I mean, the long ones with every item listed line-by-glorious-line in graphic detail: - Tylenol - $25- Slippers - (worn once, as required by hospital policy, to get from the bed to the bathroom) $75- Bedpan (to keep from having to wear the priceless slippers again) $30- Consult Dr. X - $150- Consult Dr. Y - $180- Consult Radiologist - $youwouldntbelievemeifItoldyou! When you see the return address on the envelope you think for a moment that if you had died on the way to the hospital it would have been cheaper. Did you ever wonder what our invoice from God would look like? Let’s see, the itemized charges would include the following: - Breathed all night long- Sun came up- Food was in the fridge- clothes were in the closet- Job was waiting- Car took me there and brought me home- Still breathing- No bombs fell You could also include today’s prayer consults at a very reasonable fee. At the end of the list you would have to add the priceless treatment of your actual disease. It would be a very long list. It would be a very expensive bill. A friend of mine recently got a bill like this after an extended illness.  She is the one who brought up The List, and in conclusion she said, “I owe God for everything – for the good I have and the bad I’ve done.” And then she said, “Jesus paid for it all”.  Stamp that invoice with a big red PAID IN FULL!   “Jesus paid it all.  All to Him I owe.”  Elvina M. Hall (With permission from my dear friend and soul-teacher, Linda Burnett.) VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-04-09T03:02:10+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_speaking_in_tongues_biblical/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_speaking_in_tongues_biblical/#When:02:04:45Z   I've seen men and women "speaking in tongues" in my church and being "filled" by the Holy Spirit, but I'm not sure what to think about the practice. Are these things consistent with the Bible's teaching?   In explaining our perspective on speaking in tongues by a secondary or subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit, we will base our answer on three arguments: a scriptural argument, a historical argument and a theological argument. Update: Additional content has been appended to the end of this article.   Scriptural Argument The gift of speaking in tongues is described by the Apostle Paul as part of an extended teaching from 1Cor 12-14.  In these chapters, Paul teaches five basic points about spiritual gifts to the Corinthian church: 1. The Church needed to recognize the importance of a plurality of gifts within the Body and that all gifts come from God alone and not according to the desires of men.2. Paul wanted the church to stop teaching that speaking in tongues should be a primary goal for believers in the church.3. They needed to recognize the proper priority of gifts within the Body (with tongues at the bottom of the list) and the need to give greater attention and emphasis to the higher priority gifts within the Body rather than the lower priority gifts.4. They needed to understand how the gift of tongues should be used within the church when it is present.5. They needed to understand that there is one gift of the Spirit that is common to all members of the Body and transcends all other gifts for all time in eternity: the greatest gift of all, love. The first point of Paul's teaching in those three chapters is to de-emphasize the gift of tongues rather than to emphasize it. To explain why, I need to provide a little detail from those chapters, focusing on verses 12:27-31.  1Cor. 12:27  Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 1Cor. 12:28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 1Cor. 12:29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 1Cor. 12:30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 1Cor. 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. In the preceding verses of Chapter 12, Paul had taught that the Church is made up of individuals each with different God-given gifts, yet the Body can only function in a healthy way if it works as a team just as the various parts of the human body work together. The sin of the Corinthian church was that it elevated one gift (i.e., speaking in tongues) above the rest in importance and desireability, and it taught all members of the church to seek toward attaining that gift. Paul taught that this kind of thinking regarding spiritual gifts is wrong.  First, not all Christians will be given the same gift nor can we acquire gifts for ourselves by our own power or desire. God alone assigns gifts. So, it was wrong for the church to expect every believer to acquire a specific gift like tongues, for that was impossible. Then in verses 27-31, Paul deals with the second mistake the church made by elevating tongues above other gifts. They gave the gift of speaking in tongues the wrong importance. Rather than being the highest priority gift, speaking in tongues is actually the lowest priority gift. In verse 28, Paul gives the correct order of importance for the gifts to the Body. This listing is presented as a hierarchical order in the Greek language, so Paul is clearly setting forth an order of importance for the gifts of the Spirit, listed the gifts in a diminishing order of importance as we move down the list.  In verse 28 Paul begins by saying that the most importance gift to the Body is the gift of apostleship. Only certain men could meet the strict tests required for apostleship presented elsewhere in scripture (e.g., having been appointed by Christ or having seen the resurrected Lord in person, having the power of miracles, etc.). Therefore, the gift of apostleship is no longer available in the church today though it did exist in Paul's day. The second priority gift is the gift of prophecy. By prophecy Paul could have meant the ability to reveal new spiritual truth or the ability to foretell future events, which are different kinds of prophecy. In the context of these verses, it seems most likely Paul was referring to the ability to reveal new spiritual truths, since this kind of prophecy is tied to the gift of apostleship (i.e., New Testament scripture was revealed through apostles). Since Revelation and Hebrews teaches that all prophecy has ceased until Christ's return, this gift is no longer available either.  The third most important gift is the gift of teaching (e.g., the ability to communicate spiritual truth). Since the first two gifts are no longer functioning within the church today, the gift of teaching now takes top priority within the Body. From there, the list continues in decreasing priority to the gifts of miracles, healing, helps, administration, and various tongues (e.g., speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, & other speaking or exhortation gifts).  So in today's church, the highest priority within the Body should be placed on the teaching gift, and ironically, the lowest priority is given to the gift of tongues. As stated above we cannot aspire to certain gifts nor coach others to attain them. Only God appoints the gifts, and we can only have the gifts God gives us. Consequently, Paul's list of gifts is not intend to be a "wish list" for an individual Christian. Rather the list assigns the proper priority for how the Church should make use of the various gifts when gathering together (e.g., emphasize teaching rather than emphasizing speaking in tongues, etc.). When the Corinthian church gathered, the gathering had become all about speaking in tongues rather than teaching or other higher-prioritiy spiritual activities. In reality, speaking in tongues was the least important gift within the church, so it shouldn't have been emphasized at all. Now, that brings us to verse 31. Paul says earnestly desire the greater gifts.  The word for "earnestly desire" is zeloo, which translates seek zealously. Two questions arise at this point. Who should do this seeking and what is Paul saying they should seek? In answering the "who," the first thing to understand is that Paul's statement in verse 31 is written in the second person plural in the Greek - in Texas we would say "y'all." So, Paul is addressing the church body as a whole in this verse - not an individual Christian.  Secondly, we know that the church in Corinth had incorrectly elevated a low priority gift (i.e., tongues) to an inappropriately high degree of importance within the gathering of the church. This mistake resulted in too much attention being given to those within the Body who exercised the gift of tongues, and it did so at the expense of those who might exercise the more important gifts, like teaching. So, the church was neglecting the importance of teaching, miracles, helps, etc. while spending too much time on speaking in tongues.  So, Paul is working to reverse that trend by telling them in verse 31 to seek earnestly the higher priority gifts within the fellowship (like teaching, miracles, etc.).  In other words, desire to see teaching exercised, desire to see miracles exercised, but don't desire to see lessor gifts exercised at the expense of greater gifts. Sadly, the Corinthian church had turned the priorities of gifts on its head. They had elevated speaking in tongues to the top of their priority list, and furthermore they incorrectly told believers that they should desire to gain that gift when it wasn't possible to gain a gift God hadn't appointed first. Therefore, the message in verse 31 wasn't that individual Christians should strive to attain a better gift - that's impossible, since only the Holy Spirit bestows gifts according to God's desires.  Rather, the church as a whole should seek to have the higher-priority gifts (like teaching) made more prominent within the Body, because the higher priority gifts naturally promote greater maturity and growth among believers. To add additional weight to this teaching, Paul later introduces a proof text from the Old Testament in Chapter 14: 1Cor. 14:20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.1Cor. 14:21 In the Law it is written, “BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,” says the Lord.1Cor. 14:22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. In verse 20, Paul chastises the church for being spiritually immature in their thinking. Their inappropriate use of the gift of speaking in tongues was evidence of their spiritual immaturity. In fact, Paul goes further and says that if they must be ignorant of something (i.e., if they must be "infants"), let them be ignorant of evil rather than being ignorant of the proper place for speaking in tongues.  Paul implies that the Corinthian church was ignorant in not appreciating what had already been written in the Torah concerning the purpose for God giving a gift of speaking in tongues. He reminds them that in Deut 28:49 (later repeated in Isaiah 28:11-12) that God had foretold how one day in the future the Jewish people would see a "strange people" (e.g., Gentiles) speaking to God in strange tongues. This event would be a sign to the Jewish people that their Messiah has come, and yet God says the Jewish nation wouldn't heed this sign (i.e., the Jewish people would not receive their Messiah). This was the essential - and exclusive - reason God gave the church the gift of tongues. Paul then presents his essential conclusion in verse 22. Tongues, Paul says speaking in tongues was to be a sign to the unbelieving Jews of Paul's day that their Messiah had come. It was NOT a gift given to the Church for the edification of believers (1Cor 14:12). On the contrary, the sign to believers was to be the fulfillment of this prophecy (i.e., the fulfillment of Jews not believing in their Messiah). So ironically, the church in Corinth was ignorant of their fulfillment of Isaiah's prediction from God's word (which they should have recognized had they given proper attention to learning God's word), and meanwhile they were too busy giving inappropriately emphasis to the gift of tongues, which is was meant for unbelieving Jews and not for them! Based on Paul's teaching in 1Cor 12-14, the gift of tongues is no longer needed in the Body after it had served its prophetic purpose in the first century (since the fulfillment of its purpose occured in Paul's day), and therefore the gift has disappeared from the Church. While we can't rule out the possibility of this gift re-emerging at times according to God's purposes, those occasions should always require an audience of unbelieving Jews in keeping with its stated purpose according to Scripture. Therefore, on the authority of Scripture we believe that when we obseve men and women "speaking in tongues" in churches today (e.g., in Pentecostal or other charismatic congregations) in the absence of unbelieving Jews, this behavior is a forced ritual of the flesh rather than a natural expression of the Spirit. In other words, we believe speaking in tongues is often (if not always) a faked utterance by unwitting participants deceived by unBiblical teaching and group pressure to create this expression.   Historical Argument Before the rise of the charismatic movement in early 20th century America, the gift of speaking in tongues was virtually unknown in the church. There is no mention of it in authoritative church literature following the first century, and neither do respected church leaders after the Apostolic age ever teach on the continuing use or appearance of the gift. The gift seems to have disappeared from the Church soon after the first century (as Paul's teaching would anticipate). Mysteriously on April 14, 1906, in Southern California, something resembling the practice of speaking in tongues re-emerges in the form of the modern Pentecostal movement. Most church historians trace the origins of this movement to a revival meeting led by William J. Seymore in the African Methodist Anglican Church. The unorthodox practices of this group included claims of extreme manifestations of the Spirit, which continued for several years and were roundly criticized by many respected Christian authorities as unbiblical. In fact, the Los Angeles church in which Seymore first preached his message of pentecostalism subsequently barred him from further preaching following his introduction of the teaching that salvation must be accompanied by speaking in tongues. His teaching was correctly declared to be heresy, and the church wisely separate itself from his influence. Like many false teachers, unfortunately, Seymore eventually found a new audience for his false teaching, and the Pentecostal movement began to grow by peddling a captivating style of emotional, experiential religion. Under the influence of Seymore's preaching (and those who followed him), speaking in tongues was soon viewed as an essential work of salvation by many Pentecostal churches, and it became the defining characteristic of a movement that continues today in various forms. Today the charismatic movement takes various names and holds to a variety of doctrinal views, but the uniting force behind the movement often remains the unbiblical belief in a post-salvation supernatural manifestation (or filling) of the Spirit, accompanied by speaking in tongues, which is said to be the necessary "proof" of faith. If God did intend the gift of speaking in tongues to be an essential aspect of every Christian's experience, then how can we explain the fact that the practice disappeared from the Church for over 1,900 years only to re-emerge in these last days under the teaching of a shading California preacher? This defies common sense and the teaching of Scripture concerning the establishing of the church and the end of all prophecy. Interestingly, the Pentecostal movement's beginning closely mirrors the establishment of another false and uniquely American religious movement: Mormonism. Both movements claim to have sole ownership of the truth...a truth that was supposedly lost to the world until conveniently discovered by a solitary American figure of questionable background.  Again, these stories of lost knowledge rediscovered defies common sense and Biblical teaching. The history of this movement gives compelling evidence to support our conclusion that the charismatic movement is a man-made, false expression rather than a true movement of the Holy Spirit.   Theological Argument The charismatic emphasis on speaking in tongues (and in fact, the entire Pentecostal movement itself) runs counter to scripture in the way it elevates the role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian experience at the expense of Christ Himself. The charismatic experience is centered on the work of the Holy Spirit. His presence is emphasized, His power is featured, and His glory is sought after. In this "Spirit-centered" environment, Christ's role in His Church is inevitably diminished. This is exactly opposite to scripture's teaching concerning the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the Godhead. Scripture teaches that the principle role of the Spirit in the Godhead is to testify of Christ and bring Him glory. It is never to bring glory nor attention to Himself (i.e., John 15:26; 16:13-14). Consequently, the Holy Spirit never produces nor participates in any outward manifestation within the Body of Christ which seeks to glorify Himself over Christ. Instead, the primary way we come to know of the work of the Holy Spirit among men is to witness the conviction of sin and a confession of Christ (Acts 2:37-38).  Unfortunately, the Pentecostal movement has placed this Biblical principle on its head. Implcit in the teaching and practices of this movement is a view that the Spirit exists for His own sake and to bring glory to Himself within the Church (i.e., leading believers to call upon the Spirit and request His "filling"). In such an environment, Christ receives glory only peripherally by association with the Spirit. The Bible, however, teaches that the role and ministry of the Holy Spirit is a background role visible only in the way He draws men to the Lord (e.g., John 3:8). This pattern is best exemplified in the story of Abraham finding a bride for his son, Isaac in Genesis 24. The Godhead is represented in the story, where Abraham represents the Father, Isaac is the Son and Rebekka is the Bride of the Son (i.e., the Church). But where is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is pictured by the nameless servant of Abraham, who travels to Abraham's ancestoral home to select a Bride. The key feature of the story is that the Spirit is never named. His identity remains in the shadows of the story to emphasize how the Spirit works behind the scenes on behalf of the Father and to the glory of the Son. Based on our Biblical understanding of the Spirit's role and manner, we can safely say that the Spirit would never participate in any process that resulted in bringing glory to Himself, including speaking in tongues (apart from the narrowly-defined purpose presented in Scripture) or other such manifestations. Rather, the ministry of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to draw men to Christ and equip the saints to spread the Gospel. As Paul stated, "Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified." (1Cor 1:22-23). Therefore, we believe based on scripture, history and theology that speaking in tongues or similar manifestations are almost always false and man-initiated. In fact, we believe that in many cases such displays are likely the work of the demonic realm, knowing Satan desires to blind unbelievers with false signs and weaken believers by emphasizing personal experience over sound Biblical doctrine.   The Error of the "Filling" of the Holy Spirit We believe the secondary "filling' of the Holy Spirit is also a false doctrine of the Pentecostal movement. For the sake of brevity we won't offer a detailed explanation here, but in general two kinds of error are responsibile for this incorrect doctrine. First, those who teach of a secondary filling by the Spirit commit a logical error in concluding that what occured within the early Church must be expected to continue today. The belief in a subsequent "filling" of the Holy Spirit comes from misunderstanding the meaning and purpose of various passages in Acts that describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit during the early Church. In the earliest days of the Church, men often came to a saving faith in Christ (an act which requires the active participationg of the Spirit to soften the heart), yet a some later point they experienced an outward manifestation of the Spirit's indwelling (i.e., speaking in tongues or other supernatural manifestation). Though this was a common experience in the first years of the Church, Scripture never teaches that this would be the common experience of all believers. That last statement bears repeating: Scripture never teaches that all believers should expect a subsequent "filling" experience by the Holy Spirit. Today as then, a believer is indwelled by the Holy Spirit at the point of faith, but there is no expectation for an additional "filling" or manifestation of the Spirit to follow. Instead, the normative experience for Christians since the first century has been to see the Holy Spirit manifest His presence only through the fruit of the Spirit and the giving of spiritual gifts (Gal 5:22). Nevertheless, the Pentecostal movement leaders assumed that the supernatural experiences of the early Church should be universal for all believers, so they began teaching that the way the Spirit worked in the early church will, by necessity, continue for all believers who are worthy or who seek His filling. This is a false assumption built on faulty logic and without support in scripture. As believers, we can't determine our doctrinal beliefs by presuming what God may do apart from His word. For example, using the same logic employed by the Pentecostal church, we might also teach that because God once caused a donkey to speak in Numbers 22 that therefore we should expect Him to make donkeys speak regularly. Obviously it's nonsense. In reality, the early church experienced many unique practices. It had the benefit of the apostle's testimony and leadership, and it had the burden of establishing the truth of the Gospel among a skeptical population that had never experienced the New Testament faith. The Apostles had to win over their first converts from three different groups (Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles) that each had some prior (and incorrect) understanding of God's plan of redemption. These challenges led God to make special accomodations for the Church using supernatural manifestations. The supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit were powerful and essential tools to validate the message of the Gospel and the authority of the Apotles during the establishment of the early church. The supernatural manifestations also validated and distinguished the true church and true apostles from those who might try to counterfeit or distort the Gospel during its early days. Secondly, this belief comes from an error in the interpretation of scripture. The Pentecostal movement improperly interprets the Greek word "pleroo." When used in Scripture, the word means to be made full or amply supplied. It does not usually mean to "fill up." As an example, Paul says in Phil 4:18 "And my God will supply (pleroo) all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  As the word implies in this verse, God isn't "filling up" our needs but rather meeting our needs fully. This is the proper view of the word. Unfortunately, the Pentecostal movement has misappropriated this word to suit their own purposes in claiming that the word describes a more complete giving of the Holy Spirit, particularly in often-quoted passages like Eph. 5:18: "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit." As with the earlier verse from Philippians, the "filling" here refers not to a greater measure of the Spirit but a greater reliance on the Spirit as He already exists in us. To suggest that there is "more" of the Spirit available to any believer defies the Biblical protrayal of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a single entity, without division or measure. Consequently, all Christians receive the entire Holy Spirit. There is nothing less than the whole Spirit available to all believers from the moment of faith. On the other hand, a believer can be in submission to the leading of the Spirit to varying degrees. This is the meaning of the phrase "be filled by the Holy Spirit." Paul meant that the believer should be completely reliant upon and obedient to the Spirit, not that some additional "giving" of the Spirit was necessary or even possible. In summary, the Pentecostal movement and the teaching of a subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues are distorted unbiblical doctrine built on poor interpretation of Scripture and faulty logic. They are an impediment to spiritual growth – not a means to it – and they they have served to divide the Body and confuse believers for the past 100 years.   UPDATE After receiving additional questions on the same topic, we have expanded this question to include the following details: We are not proposing that speaking in tongues cannot happen today. On the contrary, we believe the gift can exist today. Though the gift of tongues will cease in the future, it will not end apart from the end of all utterance gifts (1Cor 13:8). Furthermore, Paul's comments in 1Corinthians 13-15 leave open the possibility that speaking in tongues could happen in the church today, however Paul sets specific expectations for when and how this gift will be expressed anytime it is prompted by the Spirit. For example, in a corporate setting the gift will only be prompted by the Spirit for the sake of giving testimony to unbelieving Jews (1Cor 14:21-22). If no unbelieving Jews are present, then the gift will never be prompted by the Spirit, for the Spirit will never lead us to an improper use of a spiritual gift. Therefore if speaking in tongues happens in a group that lacks unbelieving Jews, then we can know that this manifestation is not a prompting of the Spirit, but rather it is a product of the flesh (i.e., it is being "faked"). Secondly, we believe that speaking in tongues may occur privately in an individual time of prayer and worship. Some refer to this private expression of tongues as an individual prayer language. The person speaking tongues in this way would not understand his or her own words of praise or prayer, but God would receive them nonetheless, because they were words prompted by the Spirit. Third, it's important to remember that only those Christians who have been given the gift of tongues by the Spirit will be able to speak in tongues. We cannot "obtain" this gift simply because we desire it. Spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit according to God's will at (or near) the point of our conversion, and they are not "negotiable" nor do they come "on demand" as a result of our petitions. Simply put, we either have the gift or we don't, just like any other spiritual gift, and therefore we shouldn't concern ourselves with seeking it nor desiring it. Fourth, speaking in tongues is not a practice of speaking gibberish. Speaking in tongues always involves speaking a real human language. When a Christian is truly speaking in a tongue (and not merely faking it in their own power), they will speak using a real, understandable human language, though it will be a language that the speaker himself does not know and cannot understand. If someone familiar with the language were able to hear it, they would immediately understand the speech. For example, an English-speaking Christian with the gift of tongues might be prompted by the Spirit to begin speaking in Chinese, even though the person has never learned Chinese. For this Christian himself, the speech is an unknown tongue, but the Chinese language itself is not unknown. A normal Chinese speaker could hear the language and understand it easily. You can see this principle at work in Acts 2, when thousands of new Christians began to speak in unknown tongues at Pentecost. In Acts 2:4-8. we see that these "tongues" were actually languages that many foreigners in the crowd could understand. The miracle of the moment was the way the speakers themselves couldn't understand the words coming out of their own mouths! So, speaking in tongues will never be people spouting gibberish and nonsense.  It always involves Christians speaking in normal, understandable human language, though the language is foreign to the speaker himself. Finally, we shouldn't confuse speaking in tongues with praying in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit is a phrase that means praying in the will of the Spirit or under the guidance of the Spirit. The phrase does not mean praying in a foreign tongue. Both Jude 20 and Eph 6:18 are speaking about praying under the guidance of the Spirit, not praying in a foreign tongue. All Christians are called to pray in the Spirit, because we are all called to pray according to God's will and by His Spirit (Matt 6:10). Paul also describes praying according to the will of the Spirit in Rom 8:26-27: Rom. 8:26  In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but  the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;Rom. 8:27  and He who searches the hearts knows what  the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Notice that Paul says that when we don't know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us according to God's will, but He does so WITHOUT words. Paul is not teaching that the Spirit produces foreign words, but rather His intercession takes places without words, because He intercedes as Spirit.  Paul is teaching that our needs are before God even when we don't know how to express them, since the Spirit is always at work directing our prayer life according to God's will. Jesus echoes this thought in Matt 6:8: So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. So, praying in the Spirit does not mean speaking in tongues. All Christians are expected to pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but only a few Christians will have the gift of speaking in tongues. We hope these points of clarification have been helpful. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-03-26T02:04:45+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/does_james_teach_that_works_are_required_for_salvation/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/does_james_teach_that_works_are_required_for_salvation/#When:03:47:14Z   I have listened to the whole book of Romans but this verse below [James 2:24] seems to indicate that works are necessary for justification and not faith alone. The speaker seems to indicate that works are not a requirement of justification but faith alone. What is the correct interpretation as I am now confused? This is the question at the heart of the Reformation. It has been said that the Reformation hinged on one word: alone. What was at stake was the gospel itself. Is one saved by faith alone in Christ alone, or are works also necessary to be saved? Arguably, this is one of the most important questions a Christian can ask. Before we get into the answer, it’s important to remember that we let Scripture interpret Scripture. Also, we let the explicit interpret the implicit. That is, if we find a verse in Scripture that can be interpreted in more than one way (implicit) but find another verse that can only be interpreted one way (explicit), we use the one that is clear to interpret the one that is less clear. This is because God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). The short answer to the question is that a person is saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and not by works. We see this in Scripture in two ways. First, as we learned in Romans, God is the one who decides who is saved. Romans 9:15-16 in particular showed that our salvation is not based what we do, but on what God does: For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. If God is the one who chooses on whom it is He will have mercy, then it is not logically possible that our works can play any part in our salvation (“it is not of him who wills or runs”). Some people, however, do not believe in the doctrine of election (even though it is taught very explicitly in Scripture). So, the second proof in Scripture to which we can point is what Paul says in Romans 4 and 5. Since you just studied Romans, this will be fresh in your mind. Rather than repeat all of the verses to prove that we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, let’s look at a high level summary of Romans chapters 1-5. In Romans chapters 1-3, Paul lays out the case that all mankind has sinned against God, they know God exists, but they do not acknowledge Him as God nor do they seek Him. There is none righteous, no not one, not Jew, not Gentile. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Having convicted all humanity of sin, Paul now moves on to how one can be reconciled to God in chapter 4. Using Abraham (who transcends both Jew and Gentile) as his example, Paul demonstrates that a person is justified (i.e., counted righteous in God’s eyes) by faith, not by works. It’s important to mention here that Paul is not talking about works of the Law, for Abraham came before the Law; therefore, works refers to any human works. We read in v. 4:3: For what does the Scripture say? ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Paul’s point is clear: like Abraham, we are saved by faith, and by faith, God credits, imputes, assigns to us His righteousness. More could be said, but the key point is that it is by faith that God credits righteousness to us, not works. Having made his case that we are justified by faith, Paul begins chapter 5 with this conclusion, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The “therefore” in verse 5:1 is a logical conclusion to what Paul just said in Romans 4. To make sure we understand this, Paul makes a comparison of how we became sinners and how we can become righteous. He does this by making a parallel comparison and contrast with Adam and Christ. Before we were born, before we did anything, we are counted sinners because of Adam’s transgression (5:12). In other words, sin was imputed, credited to Adam’s progeny because of his transgression. Our works did not make us sinners; rather, we sin because we are sinners. Paul then shows that, similarly, believers are counted righteous by Christ’s obedience (as contrasted with Adam’s transgression). This point was made in chapter 4, and Paul makes it clear that he means we are counted righteous not by what we do, but solely by Christ’s obedience. This is important, because obedience means works. The whole point of Romans 5 is to emphasize the similarity of Adam and Jesus, with one leading to sin and death, and the other leading to righteousness. Therefore, in context, vs. 5:14-19 clearly teaches that we are made righteous not by our obedience, but by Christ’s obedience: Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” Verse 14 makes clear that even though we didn’t commit the same sin Adam committed in the garden of Eden, we all still died. This means we all sinned in some way, for death came into the world because of sin. This is the, by the way, the chapter in Scripture to which theologians will point when they teach “original sin”. It means we inherited Adam’s sinful nature (see vs.5:12 and 5:19: we were “made sinners”). This is also why Jesus was born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was necessary that He not have a human father (for sin comes from Adam, the father). With God as His Father, He could be born sinless, even though it was through a human mother. Romans 5 also ties in with many other Scriptures that speak about the righteousness of God. I think 2 Corinthians 5:21 says it well, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took the penalty for our sin, and gave us His righteousness, which is imputed to us by faith. It is on this basis alone that we are counted righteous, not by any works we do. As Paul makes clear in Titus 3:4-7: But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. It is also why Jeremiah says we will call Him “the LORD our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 23:6) If salvation is by works, then, logically, our works would be what makes us righteous. Yet over and over again, Scripture says the Lord is our righteousness. Again, this agrees completely with Romans 5. In a sense, though, works do make us righteous. However, it is not our works, it is Christ’s works, His obedience, that makes us righteous. Now, just to make sure we're not reading our view into what Paul has said all the way through chapter 5, let’s suppose that James 2 teaches that salvation is by works and then apply that viewpoint to where Paul goes next in Romans. Throughout Romans, Paul likes to ask questions he anticipates his reader will have. If salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, but then depends on us to be obedient (i.e., our works), and is conditional on our obeying the commandments, We would expect that Paul would now move into teaching us how to be obedient to ensure that we will be saved. But instead, chapter six begins with this question, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” This question fits perfectly with the logical flow of what Paul has just previously taught. If I am not saved by what I do, if I am saved solely by faith, by which Christ’s righteousness is imputed to me, then a logical question is hey, it doesn’t matter if I continue to sin, does it In fact, the more I sin, Paul, the more grace will abound! Paul goes on to deal with this erroneous thought. Clearly, Paul is not teaching that we are saved by works but only by faith alone in Christ alone. So, we see that Scripture explicitly teaches that we are saved not by works, but by faith alone in Christ alone (remember what we said about explicit and implicit teaching in Scripture). Knowing this, let’s next look at what James says. As we do this, keep this thought in mind. When James says, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone”, it appears he is saying that we are saved by works. However, another way to interpret this verse is that James is saying that a man manifests (makes known) his justification (his salvation) by what he does, not just by saying he has faith. This is clearly implied when this verse is interpreted properly in its context. If we take what Paul says as explicit, and what James says as explicit, then we have a contradiction. Since God is the author of all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), and since God is perfect, then there cannot be a contradiction in Scripture. Either we have misinterpreted what Paul says in Romans, or we have misinterpreted what James says. We maintain that James is not teaching that we are saved by faith and works, but that he is teaching that we make known our salvation to the world by our works. The world cannot look on our heart and know we have faith, as God can; they can only see it by what we do. With that as a background, let’s look at what James teaches in chapters 1 and 2 that lead up to his statement in v. 2:24. First, we see that James is writing to Christians, those who are already saved. He is writing about how they are to live as Christians. He speaks about persecutions, about our need to trust in God’s provisions. Some key verses in James 1:18-25 are these: In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. Note that in v.18, James says that God brought us forth by the “exercise of His will.” In v.21 he says the word “implanted” will save your soul. The Greek word for implanted is emphutos, which means “inborn, implanted by nature, implanted by others instruction." It refers to something planted in us. Both of these verses tie in perfectly with Paul’s teaching on election. This is something God performed, not something we did. Furthermore, the word from which emphutos is derived is phuo, which means “to produce, to become, to grow.” This suggests, then, that the word that saves us will also grow in us and produce something in us, namely, good works. This is exactly where James goes next, talking about being doers of the word. If you hear the word (that is, the gospel), but are not a doer, you have deceived yourself into thinking that you are indeed saved. Importantly, James says “prove” yourself as a doer of the word by being someone who “abides by it” (v.25). Clearly, James here is not saying we are saved by works. On the contrary, he just stated that the word was “implanted” in us by the exercise of God’s will, which is something we are not even able to accomplish. It’s obvious that he is commanding believers to show that they have this implanted word by being a doer. This is how the word grows in us and produces (phuo) good works. He also does not say we will be saved by being a doer; rather, we will be blessed. James then continues by stating how we prove ourselves doers of the word. A true believer (one who has had faith implanted in his soul by the exercise of God’s will) will bridle his tongue, visit orphans and widows, keep himself unstained from the world, and not show favoritism. He tells us to show mercy, just as we have been shown mercy in Christ. So, the context of James’ letter to believers is that we are to demonstrate our faith by what we do (prove ourselves to be doers of the word). He gives specific examples of how we can do this. Then, beginning in 2:14, he says, “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” This is an important verse for understanding v2:24. Note that James is focused on a particular kind of faith. If a person has a faith that produces no works, he has deceived himself because that faith is no faith, and thus, cannot save anyone. Indeed, it is a “dead” faith (v. 17). James then continues in 2:18-26: But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James continues to emphasize that works prove a person’s faith. He says we show we have faith by our works. Just saying we believe is not enough, for even the demons do this, yet they hate God and will ultimately be destroyed. Anyone can say they have faith, but true faith is a faith that results in works. This is in complete agreement with Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Notice that we are not saved by works but are created for good works. This is what James is also saying, for if we have been saved, and if God saved us for good works, then a person with true faith will show his faith by his good works. Verses 20-26 are very important verses. Note that James focuses on how we know someone has faith. In v.22, he says “you see." He says it again in vs.24 and implies it in v.25. So, the focus is on demonstrating that a person has faith, not that works saves a person. Importantly, James discusses Abraham’s offering of Isaac in Genesis 22. This is important, because in Romans 4, Paul discusses Abraham being saved by faith and not by works, referring to Genesis 15. It would be helpful to go back and read both Genesis 15 and 22, but suffice it to say here that God gave the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 15, and it was an unconditional covenant. This means that God promised to save Abraham and his seed, without any condition on Abraham’s part. This is contrasted with the Mosaic covenant, which said Israel would be saved only if they perfectly obeyed the Law. Now, if God unconditionally promised to save Abraham and his seed in Genesis 15, then why did He ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22? The text even says, after Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, that God now knows that Abraham feared God. He goes on to say in Genesis 22:16-18: By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. This text makes it appear that God really didn’t know that Abraham had faith until He tested him (v. 16, “because you have done this thing”). Yet, we read the following back in Genesis 15:5-6: And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them " And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” The point here is that Abraham was already counted righteous in Genesis 15 because he believed God’s promise. Paul refers to this text in Romans 4 to emphasize that Abraham was saved solely by faith. Obviously, since God gave Abraham that faith (Ephesians 2:8 says faith is a gift from God), God knew what Abraham would do with respect to Isaac. This begs the question, why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? It is because this act showed men that Abraham had faith. Looking at Abraham’s life leading up to Genesis 22, one would not necessarily conclude that Abraham had faith in God. For example, in Genesis 20, Abraham tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. He does this so Abimelech will not kill him and take Sarah. Is this the picture of a person who has faith in God? So, God asks Abraham to make the ultimate sacrifice: kill your son, your only son, whom you love. By obeying God, we “see” that Abraham had faith, as James points out. Likewise, how could Rahab, a prostitute, be saved? She, too, had faith and it was manifested when she helped Israel’s spies. Without this righteous act, it would appear that God saved a wicked prostitute who only disobeyed God. Hebrews 11 makes the same point, first stating that men gained approval by faith, and then listing several examples of works that were done by faith. Indeed, the author of Hebrews 11:17-19 says of Abraham:} By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.” Note that Abraham was “tested” to prove his faith. In this sense, the Scripture was fulfilled (James 2:23). God had already made Abraham righteous by giving him faith to believe God’s promise. This was fulfilled in men’s eyes by Abraham showing his willingness to offer up his son. While this should be enough to demonstrate that our works do not save us, some will say (and have said) that James 2:24 uses the same word for justification that Paul uses, so it must mean that works are necessary for salvation. If that is true, then, using this exact same logic, wisdom must also be saved. In Matthew 11:19, Jesus says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, afriend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” The word “vindicated” is the same Greek word for justification. In fact, some English translations use the word justification. The NASB used vindicated, because it makes no sense to say that wisdom is justified; that is, wisdom cannot be “saved." Therefore, we have a clear and explicit example in Scripture where the word justified can also mean vindicated, or proven. Thus, James is not saying a person is saved by works, but that a person proves he has faith (vindicates his faith) by his works. Given all of the above, we conclude that a person is saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and not by works. Let us give thanks to God for this, because if we were saved by our works, we would never become righteous. If we were saved by works, we would not have the peace that passes understanding. Yet the Lord has explained His word so that we may have the assurance of our salvation, knowing that it is based on what Christ has done, not on what we do, “for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:33) Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-03-20T03:47:14+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/born_royalty/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/born_royalty/#When:03:25:53Z The 2001 Walt Disney movie, The Princess Diaries, provides an unintentional picture of salvation to believers. Here is the plot summary of the movie from imdb.com: Mia, a socially awkward but very bright 15-year-old girl being raised by a single mom, discovers that she is the princess of a small European country because of the recent death of her long-absent father, who (unknown to her) was the crown prince of Genovia. She must make a choice between continuing the life of a San Francisco teen or stepping up to the throne. While Mia makes up her mind, she's pressed into taking princess lessons from her grandmother. Let's take a look at some of the events of the story and see what they show us: 1. Mia is born as royalty. She is a princess in the kingdom of Genovia from the day of her birth. She did nothing to merit, earn, or somehow contribute towards her royal status. Similarly, when believers are born physically they are already chosen by G-d. We are already part of G-d's eternal kingdom. Consider Paul's words to the believers in Ephesus: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  (Ephesians 1:3-6) Please note two things from this passage: 1.G-d did the choosing. It does not say that we chose G-d but that He chose us.2.The choosing occurred at the beginning "before the foundation of the world." We were not present with Him at the beginning of creation to participate in any way in our salvation. Paul makes a similar statement to the believers in Thessalonica: But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.  (2 Thessalonians 2:13) Salvation does not ever depend upon our actions. As Paul puts it in Romans 9: So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  (Romans 9:16) Why is this so?  It is because G-d does the choosing.  From the moment of our creation we are part of G-d's eternal kingdom. 2. Mia is unaware of her special status as royalty and lives the first fifteen years of her life in a rather unremarkable manner. She appears to be a bright but otherwise unexceptional girl. In a similar manner, those who are chosen by G-d but are unaware of it live their lives in an unremarkable fashion... doing the things of the world and walking in darkness. As Paul describes it in Ephesians 5:8, "...you were formerly darkness, now you are Light in the Lord..." Even if by chance Mia had performed some action that was royal in nature it would have been viewed as pretentious (at worst) or simply odd (at best) since neither she nor anyone around her was aware of her true royal status. There was no visible connection between her actions and her (as yet unknown) royalty. This brings to mind a passage in the writings of the prophet Isaiah: For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  (Isaiah 64:6) Any act of righteousness (i.e. righteous deeds/good deeds/good works) that are separated from G-d's direction to do that act are like a "filthy garment" [literally: a menstrual cloth]. Like Mia, those whom G-d has chosen but are unaware of that election are unaware of their special status and walk in the darkness of their ignorance. 3. Mia is visited by a special messenger: her grandmother, the queen of Genovia. It is her grandmother who informs Mia of her father's royal lineage and thus her own royal position of princess. Believers are also visited by a special messenger to inform them of their special status: the Holy Spirit (Hebrew: ruach Hakodesh).  As Peter notes in his first letter: It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.  (1 Peter 1:12) Paul also tells us that the gospel (the good news of Messiah and his kingdom) come to us by the Holy Spirit: ...for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction... (1 Thessalonians 1:5) 4. Mia's grandmother, the same messenger who informs Mia of her royalty, also sets forth a new set of standards for Mia's behavior and establishes new expectations for the young princess.  She must conform her speech and actions to behavior that is fitting to her new found status. In a similar fashion, the Holy Spirit begins writing the Law [Hebrew: Torah] of G-d upon our hearts as the New Covenant promises: Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.  But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  (Jeremiah 31:31-33) As Peter exhorts us in his first epistle: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."  (1 Peter 1:14-16) Just as the queen exhorts her princess granddaughter to act like the princess she is, so Peter also exhorts believers to live like the citizens of G-d's kingdom that they are. In Acts 26 Paul relates his encounter with the risen Yeshua and shares these words of the Master: 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'  (Acts 26:15-18) In this passage Paul is not commissioned to make unbelievers into believers but to teach believers of the truth of their salvation and to train them so that they may turn from darkness to light.  He is being sent so that they will stop living in the dominion of Satan and start living out the truth of their existence as part of the kingdom of G-d and the commonwealth of Isra'el: Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-13) The Holy Spirit, the same messenger that informs believers of their salvation, also testifies to the world that we are children of the King: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.  (Romans 8:16-17) With the help of others around her, Mia's grandmother trains Mia to live the life of a princess.  In doing so she is set apart and "sanctified" to her position.  Sanctified means "set apart" and Mia's behavior must be set apart in order to reflect her "set apart" position.  Note that Mia's behavior does not make her a princess.  She was a princess at birth.  Her behavior is simply a reflection of the knowledge of who she is. The Holy Spirit, through the lives of other believers around us, also conforms us into the pattern established for us: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  (Romans 8:29) Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  (Romans 12:1-2) Scripture describes two realms: one of darkness and one of light. Although believers are "Light in the Lord" we formerly walked in darkness. Paul admonishes us that we should walk as children of Light (Ephesians 5:8). The Master, Himself, says: "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12) "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness." (John 12:26) Mia's training is all encompassing: how she stands, how she sits, how she walks, how she talks, how she eats, how she waves... Everything she does is adjusted and conformed to the standard of her position. Paul exhorts the believers in Corinth: Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) He also exhorts the believers in Ephesus: ..for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10) At various points Mia despairs and nears the point of abandoning her position and seeking to avoid the responsibility that has been thrust upon her.  It is a high and demanding calling and her character is tested. In a similar manner, believers are often tried, tested, and tempted.  Scripture provides cautions regarding testing (e.g. 2 Corinthians 2:9, 2 Corinthians 13:5-6, 1 Timothy 3:10, Hebrews 11:17, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 John 4:1). Scripture provides observations about temptation (e.g. 1 Corinthians 10:13, Galatians 6:1, Hebrews 2:18, James 1:13-14). It also provides many exhortations to stand firm (1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6:11, 6:13-14, Philippians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 3:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Peter 5:12) Nobody is forcing Mia to choose this new life.  Indeed, some are trying to talk her out of it.  She must make her own choice.  This brings to mind a famous passage from Scripture: "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  (Joshua 24:15) 5. Mia does not train and prepare just so she can do the things a princess does.  Her training and preparation have a purpose: one day she will be queen and she must be prepared to rule. Believers also are being trained to rule, to rule in G-d's kingdom. If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:12-13). And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10). Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6). Like Mia in the movie "The Princess Diaries." believers in the risen Messiah live the following experiences: • Born as Royalty• Unaware of Special Status• Awakened to the Truth By a Special Messenger• Given a New Set of Standards and Expectations• Trained to Live as Royalty• Trained in Preparation to Rule What is the conclusion of all this? Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  (Hebrews 12:1 NIV) May we strive by the power of the Spirit of G-d to be conformed to the image of Christ and live our lives in the knowledge of who we are and who we have been chosen to be. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20) VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2010-03-20T03:25:53+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/apostolic_powers_today/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/apostolic_powers_today/#When:01:35:48Z   Are the Apostles' supernatural powers available for Christians today?  How do you decide when to interpret Jesus' words as universal to all believers or limited to His immediate audience (i.e., the Apostles)?  Regarding the first question, we believe both Scripture and the collective experience of millions of Christians make clear the Apostles were granted unique supernatural abilities not shared by other believers. The office of Apostle was a unique office granted to a limited number of Jewish men, which included unique privileges and powers necessary for their calling.  The office was granted solely by the Lord through a personal appearing, including to the Apostle Paul in his experience on the road to Damascus. The office of Apostle was established for the purpose of founding the church, and it resulted in special powers and authority and privileges. For example, in Matt 19:27-28 Jesus promises the Apostles they will rule over the twelve tribes of Israel. This is a privilege unique to these men.  Furthermore, in the book of Acts we see numerous examples of the Apostles performing miracles not generally available to other believers. These special powers were used by the Spirit to establish a beach head of faith in the city of Jerusalem and beyond. In Acts 3:1-7, we see a clear example of how the Apostles' supernatural powers worked to promote the growth of the early church. Acts 3:1  Now  Peter and John were going up to the temple at the  ninth hour,  the hour of prayer. Acts 3:2 And  a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg  alms of those who were entering the temple. Acts 3:3 When he saw  Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. Acts 3:4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” Acts 3:5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Acts 3:6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you:  In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!” Acts 3:7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. In that passage, Peter heals a paralytic man through a presentation of the Gospel followed immediately by a command to rise and walk. It's clear from the text that Paul determined to work through this man's circumstances to establish the Gospel. After Peter heals him, Acts 3:11-4:4 records the effect of this miracle. Through this miracle, Peter obtains an audience of Jews for a wider presentation of the Gospel, and it results in 5,000 new believers coming to faith. We can find many more examples like this one in the book of Acts, in keeping with Jesus' words to these men. As another example, you may remember the words Jesus spoke to the Apostles: Matt. 16:19 “I will give you  the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and  whatever you bind on earth  shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth  shall have been loosed in heaven.” Jesus' statement has often confused Bible students, who wonder what it means that a believer could "bind" or "loose" things both in heaven and earth.  We must remember Jesus spoke these words to the Apostles, and we can see it's unique purpose in their ministry demonstrated in places like Acts 5, when Peter confronts a deceptive believer.  In Acts 5:1-5 Peter "binds" a believer to a judgment of physical death for his deceptive practices in the church. Acts 5:1  But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, Acts 5:2 and  kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, h  laid it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? Acts 5:4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have  conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but  to God.” Acts 5:5 And as he heard these words, Ananias  fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The effect (and therefore, the purpose) of this power is shown a few verses later: Acts 5:11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things. The church becomes fearfully reverent of Christ's power over His Church as exercised through the office of the Apostles. Later, Paul leverages this same respect for a similar good purpose in rebuking the Corinthian church in 1Cor: 1Cor. 4:18  Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not  coming to you. 1Cor. 4:19  But I  will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. 1Cor. 4:20  For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. 1Cor. 4:21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? 1Cor. 5:1  It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 1Cor. 5:2  You have become arrogant and have not  mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 1Cor. 5:3  For I, on my part, though  absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 1Cor. 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 1Cor. 5:5  I have decided to  deliver such a one to  Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Paul challenged false teachers in that church by reminding them that the authority of his teaching was backed up by supernatural power (v.20). If these false teachers were going to contradict his teaching, they had better be prepared to demonstrate similar supernatural power to validate their authority (which they couldn't do, of course). Paul then goes on to give a demonstration of his Apostolic power to "bind" on earth and in heaven by judging the behavior of a sinful member of the church and condemning him to physical death at the hands of the Enemy. Paul accomplished this judgment while still living hundreds of miles away! Moving from Scripture to our personal experience today, we recognize that Christians today simply do not have such powers. Try as we might, we cannot repeat the "binding" and "loosing" that the Apostles exercised. Likewise, Christians today do not routinely raise men from the dead, cause paralytics to walk, cast out demons, etc. Our collective experience confirms Scripture's teaching that Jesus awarded unique powers to the Apostles for specific purposes in founding the early church. Please note we are not suggesting that such miracles are impossible today; rather, we are saying they are no longer common experiences for the Church, nor can they be summoned at will by believers as the Apostles once did. In keeping with their office and mission to establish the early church, the Apostles demonstrated these powers (including those mentioned in Mark 16:15-18) during their lives, but the powers have clearly faded from the common experience. Therefore, we should not expect nor desire them today. Instead, the Church is called to witness to the world through God's word and through a life lived to God (Rom 12:1-2).To your second question regarding when to interpret Jesus' words broadly for all believers, our response should be a familiar one: context. We must rely on the context of Scripture to guide our interpretation, and by context we mean the entire Bible, particularly the New Testament. Here are some general guidelines we follow when relying on Biblical context to understanding how to interpret and apply Jesus' teaching:1. Who did Jesus address with His comments? Did He repeat his comments to multiple audiences?2. What application did Jesus make, if any?3. How did Jesus' audience respond to the comments?4. Do the New Testament authors repeat and extend Jesus' comments to a larger audience?5. Do we see evidence of Jesus' comments at work in the Church today?As an example, let's examine the passage from Mark 16 using these questions:Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.Mark 16:16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.Mark 16:17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;Mark 16:18  they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”Mark 16:19  So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 1. Who did Jesus address with His comments? Did He repeat his comments to multiple audiences? Jesus was speaking to the eleven immediately before His ascension. These were His last words to the Apostles. Therefore, He never spoke these words to other believers apart from these eleven men. 2. What application did Jesus make, if any? Jesus says that these men should go into the world and preach the Gospel, and the signs He lists will "accompany" those who believe. The Greek word for "accompany" is parakoloutheo, which means "to follow closely to investigate." Jesus wasn't saying that the new believers themselves would have such powers, but rather that when new believers are converted to belief, their conversions would be followed closely by miracles in order to satisfy those who might investigate the legitimacy of such conversions. This statement is perfectly consistent with the scene we saw in Acts 3, when Peter's conversion of the paralyzed man was "accompanied" by the man's supernatural healing. So the application Jesus makes is that the Apostles should expect to see supernatural proof accompany their work as evangelists to validate their ministry among the people. 3. How did Jesus' audience respond to the comments? Immediately, the Apostles began to follow Jesus' words of instruction. Peter and John began declaring the Gospel and producing the miracles Jesus described, beginning in Acts 2 and continuing throughout first century. Famously, Paul encounters a deadly snake in Acts 28:3-5, but he is not harmed by the bite. These experiences confirm that Jesus' immediate audience accepted Jesus' words as a literal truth for their lives and lived accordingly. 4. Do the New Testament authors repeat and extend Jesus' comments to a larger audience? In a word, no. None of the New Testament authors ever teach Jesus' words as a universal truth for all believers. The letters from the Apostles give no authority to believers in general to speak in tongues, cast out demons, heal the sick or handle deadly animals without harm, etc..  Consequently, we should not assume to receive such gifts or powers without specific evidence that the Holy Spirit has chosen to gift us such powers. On the other hand, we do know that men apart from the eleven Apostles in the early church were gifted to heal and cast out demons (i.e., Acts 8), but these men were also operating under the authority of the Apostles and within the time of the early church. Consequently, we should conclude from the context of Scripture that while such powers are possible outside the office of Apostle, they are not commonly available to believers today nor are believers encouraged to seek or expect such powers. 5. Do we see evidence of Jesus' comments at work in the Church today? We rarely see such powers at work in the Body of Christ today, especially as a consequence of conversions. Remember, Jesus promised that these signs would "accompany" conversions. Though supernatural healing, demonic exorcism and other miracles do occur in the Church today from time to time, they are not the common experience when people come to faith. In the earliest days of the Church, they were commonly associated with conversions, but today they are not. Since we know that such power must come from the Spirit, we can conclude that the Spirit has not purposed to make them as prevalently today as He once did in the early Church, which is in keeping with their intended purpose to validate the conversion within the early Church. Bible Questions & Answers, Church Practice 2010-03-18T01:35:48+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_do_we_know_there_will_be_a_rapture/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_do_we_know_there_will_be_a_rapture/#When:16:44:25Z   When you teach on the Rapture, are you suggesting a "third coming" of Christ? Is there anything in the Bible to suggest a third coming? And how do we know that the Church will escape the Tribulation? In answer to your first question, there is no Biblical teaching concerning a "third coming" of Christ. Our Lord has already come to earth once (during His Earthly ministry from approximately 4 BC - AD 30), and Scripture calls for His eventual return to live on Earth and reign as King for 1,000 years. His return is often called His Second Coming. There is no other time of Christ returning to Earth. Regarding the Rapture of the saints before the Tribulation, we first must understand the purpose of Tribulation itself. The Bible teaches repeatedly and clearly that the time of Tribulation is a time of judgment specifically intended for the Jewish nation. We teach extensively concerning this period of judgment in our Revelation, Isaiah, Luke and Ruth studies. As we teach in those courses, the seven-year period of Tribulation is intended by God to chasten Israel for Her sins under the Mosaic Covenant, and it will lead the nation as a whole to repent and turn to the Christ. We invite you to study the following passages to understand God's purpose in bringing Tribulation: Ezek 20-33-38 - God promises to bring Israel back into her land for a period of judgment and redemptionDan 9:24 - God lists seven reasons why Israel must experience the seven years of TribulationJer 30:2-9 - God promises an unprecedented period of distress coming for Israel called the time of "Jacob's troubles" but the nation will be saved in the end. In summary, the seven-year period of worldwide distress we call Tribulation is a time of judgment specifically directed toward the nation of Israel for the purpose of bringing Israel back to God. Due to the unprecedented nature of this time of judgment, it impacts the entire world and brings distress to everyone living on Earth in those days.  Nevertheless, it is a result of Israel's sin and is directed specifically against that nation. Because the purpose of Tribulation is for Israel (and not the Church), Paul teaches that the Church will not be subjected to this time of distress when it comes. We can see Paul's teaching on the Rapture and it's relationship to Tribulation in several passages, beginning with 1Thess 4:1Th. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 1Th. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 1Th. 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until  the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 1Th. 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the  trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 1Th. 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 1Th. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. In this passage, Paul writes to comfort the church concerning the fate of those of faith who die before Christ's return for His Church. Paul assures the church that those who die (i.e., are "asleep") will not be left behind at the resurrection, but in fact they will rise first to meet Christ. After the dead rise, those saints who are still alive on Earth will be "caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." Notice that the Lord is not descending to Earth, and therefore this is not His second coming.  He remains "in the air" and only meets the resurrection saints after they have departed the Earth. This detail demonstrates that this moment is a unique event, one that is distinctly different from Jesus' second coming to Earth. The Church has taken to calling this unique event the "Rapture," because when the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible was published in the early 5th Century, it used the Latin word "rapere" for the Greek word "harpazo," which translated into English means "caught up." Paul wrote to assure the Church that the Lord intends to collect His Bride "in the air" before the time of Tribulation begins. Paul describes the timing of the Rapture in the next series of verses from 1Thess:1Th. 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 1Th. 5:2 For you yourselves know full well that  the day of the Lord will come  just like a thief in the night. 1Th. 5:3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 1Th. 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 1Th. 5:5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 1Th. 5:6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 1Th. 5:7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 1Th. 5:8 But since  we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the  breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 1Th. 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Th. 5:10  who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Concerning the timing of these events, Paul teaches that the Rapture will be closely associated in time with a worldwide period of calamity and judgment. We know this judgment time to be the time of Tribulation, and in keeping with the earlier Scripture references regarding Tribulation's focus on the Jewish nation, we understand Paul is assuring the Church that we are not "appointed" to this coming wrath (v.9) and that this "day" will not overtake us (v.4).  Only the Jewish nation is "appointed" to this time of wrath. Consequently, we understand Paul is teaching that Tribulation is a time of judgment intended for the Jewish nation and the unbelieving world, and the Church will escape this time, because Christ collects the Church from the Earth and escorts His Bride away before the coming judgment. (By the way, you can also see a prophetic picture of the coming Rapture in the story of Isaac and Rebecca from Genesis 24.  For more information, please refer to our teaching on this scene in Lessons 24A & 24B from our Genesis III study, and also in Ruth 3B and 4B in our Ruth study. You can find both studies on our website.) Finally, Paul also references the Rapture in passing in 1Cor: 1Cor. 15:51 Behold, I tell you a  mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be  changed, 1Cor. 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and  the dead will be raised  imperishable, and we will be changed. 1Cor. 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. Paul's main point in 1Cor 15 is to demonstrate the truth of resurrection and the need for a new "incorruptible" body before men can enter into the heavenly realm. As he teaches on this point, Paul introduces a "mystery," a hidden truth that God is now unveiling through Paul's writing. The mystery Paul revealed in this passage was that not every Christian will experience physical death (i.e., "sleep") before they receive their new, incorruptible body. Though most Christians will experience a physical death before the resurrection of the righteous, some Christians will still be living when the moment of resurrection takes place. Paul then says that in a moment (in Greek, the phrase literally means in "an atom of time"), the dead are raised into their new bodies and the living are "changed." The Greek word is "allasso," which means an exchange of one thing for another. Paul is teaching that at the moment of the resurrection for all saints, any believers who are still alive at that moment will instantly exchange their present body for a new body. The exchange for a new incorruptible form is necessary because we are immediately escorted into Heaven with the Lord. This is the same Rapture Paul described in 1Thess, and it is a moment the Church has expected and longed for since Paul wrote these words. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-03-16T16:44:25+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/christian_instant_gratification/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/christian_instant_gratification/#When:02:56:35Z   As a teenager growing up, I remember my parents' frequent complaining over my need for instant gratification. They counseled me on the importance of self-discipline and delayed satisfaction, and they warned of the dangers of imprudence and impatience. Naturally, I responded the way most teenagers do...I ignored my parents and took (nearly) every opportunity to indulge my flesh. How was I supposed to avoid the temptation of instant gratification? Growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, I witnessed the dawning of the "now" society. I can still remember the day my parents brought home our first microwave oven. We marveled at the prospect of defrosting hotdogs in seconds and cooking entire meals in less time than it took to set the table. Instant gratification never tasted so good! Soon cable TV, the VCR, cordless phones and self-correcting typewriters followed, and they ushered in the generation of quick and easy. Why wait for anything when technology could fill every need instantly? Today, instant gratification is no longer considered a vice – it's become a lifestyle! Technology delivers to us immeasurable quantities of information in a instant, while distributing our most private thoughts to a worldwide audience of strangers. Modern medicine seems capable of curing every ailment in just 24-48 hours, and instant credit has brought the world's treasures within everyone's financial reach. Having become a parent myself, I can better appreciate my parents' wisdom, and so now I'm the one counseling my own children to practice patience and self-discipline in a world of instant messaging, cell phones and downloadable everything. Even now I still battle a desire for the "quick and easy" solution to every situation, but I'm learning that quick and easy isn't always best. For example, an instant gratification lifestyle can have a detrimental impact on our Christian walk, leading us to depend upon quick and easy solutions to otherwise difficult spiritual problems. Instead of regular prayer and waiting on the Lord, we launch urgent church campaigns and deliver impassioned calls to action. The practices of daily devotionals and seeking godly counsel from our church elders give way to 40-day programs and an intense marriage retreat weekend. Life-long Bible scholarship can't compete with 7-week discipleship programs or the latest bestseller from some popular preacher. Welcome to instant gratification discipleship in the 21st century! When we seek an instant gratification approach to our Christian walk, we will inevitably grow frustrated as our efforts to produce spiritual fruit take longer than we expected or desired. Frustration leads to discouragement, and ultimately we may abandon the basic disciplines of the Christian faith. Conditioned to believe every good thing is quick and easy, we may rationalize our poor spiritual disciplines with thoughts like, "Prayer takes too long to see results, studying the Bible is so boring, and fasting just isn't good for my metabolism." We may live in the age of instant gratification, but there is no such thing as instant sanctification this side of heaven. On the contrary, Scripture counsels us to be patient no fewer than 25 times in the New Testament, and it's a theme featured prominently in much of Paul's writing. For example, his famous discourse on love in 1Corinthians 13 begins, "Love is patient..." In Galatians, Paul lists patience as a fruit of the Spirit, and Paul repeatedly exhorts the church to follow his example of patience in suffering and trials. Clearly, a mature Christian walk should be marked by patience, particularly in spiritual matters. While the world preaches "now," we are counseled by Scripture to look beyond the here and now and choose to live for an eternal purpose. We are to devote ourselves to a life of discipleship, knowing that these disciplines produce fruit in time and in direct proportion to our patience and diligence.  Pray, study your Bible, seek godly counsel and serve in your gift with an eye for eternity, and you will find the fruit of your patience in eternal reward. Our parents were right: patience is a virtue, which is why I pray the Lord would give me patience...but give it to me now!                 VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2010-03-02T02:56:35+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_woman_teach_men_in_the_church/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_woman_teach_men_in_the_church/#When:05:21:52Z   Is it ever proper for a woman to teach to men in the church? Some churches allow it while others do not.   The Bible frequently states that women are to be under the headship and authority of a man within the context of church leadership, and in one passage in particular (1Tim 2:12), the Bible also forbids women to teach. The only other comparable Scripture is found in 1Cor 14:34, where Paul requires women to remain silent in the churches. The question, of course, is under what circumstances did Paul mean that a woman should refrain from teaching or speaking? For example, can a woman teach her own children or can a woman teach other women in the church? The answer to these questions is yes. Paul himself says elsewhere that an older woman should teach younger women (Titus 2:3), and the Proverbs speak frequently about mothers raising children to respect their instruction. Therefore, Paul's instructions for women to remain silent and not teach are not universal but rather specific. They always refer to women instructing men, which means Paul's concern is principally an issue of respecting male headship. Paul describes the Biblical principle of male headship in the church in 1Cor 11, but his conclusion is simple: all church authority must lie with men, and teaching is an expression of leadership. When a woman exercises her teaching gift by instructing men, she risks assuming a position of authority in these men's spiritual lives. If the teaching role brings with it the exercising of authority over men in the church, then the woman teacher would be serving in violation of the Biblical principle of headship. In that case, her teaching role has created a more serious problem: she is operating outside the authority of men in the church. Nevertheless, is it possible for a woman to teach men without exercising authority over them? Yes, but these will be limited situations. For example, VBVM has both male and female teachers on our staff, and we adhere strictly to the Biblical principle of headship in our teaching events. This means all our Bible study materials are authored and/or reviewed by male leadership, and classroom instruction is usually led by a man if men are present in the room. Occasionally, VBVM may allow a woman to share in the delivery of teaching to a mixed crowd (as in our Ruth study), provided she does so with a male co-teacher present in the room, who is the final authority for the study. The male teacher is in a position to correct the woman's teaching if necessary or even assume responsibility for the instruction if he deems it appropriate. In this way, our minsitry ensures that Biblical headship is maintained in every classroom. Authority over the content and delivery of the teaching remains with men, and this headship is clearly demonstrated throughout the course of the event. We believe a church may permit women to teach to men without violating Scripture's headship requirements so long as they operate under similar protections and guidelines. On the other hand, if a woman doesn't feel comfortable teaching men (even with these protections in place) or if men in the church do not feel comfortable receiving Biblical instruction from a woman, then it would be better for the church to substitute a male instructor to avoid creating confusion or dischord. Bible Questions & Answers, Church Practice 2010-03-01T05:21:52+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_wealthy_person_make_it_into_heaven/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_wealthy_person_make_it_into_heaven/#When:03:38:45Z   I heard that wealthy people won't make it to heaven because their wealth is their god. Is this true? Do wealthy people have a chance for salvation? The answer is yes, it is possible for a rich man to be saved by grace, just as all men may be saved. The Scripture includes numerous accounts of men who were wealthy and yet who also followed the Lord faithfully. Perhaps the best example of a believer who was wealthy is Abraham (e.g., Genesis 12). The Bible testifies he had many sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and servants, and yet he was called the father of faith. Wealth in and of itself is not evil. The Bible says the love of money is the problem. In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul says this: For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. As you say, for some wealthy people, their wealth is their god. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:24: No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. A person who makes wealth his god clearly is not devoted to the true God. Probably the best example of this is when Jesus gives the gospel to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-26: And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." Then he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." While it may be difficult for one who is devoted to their wealth to set it aside, if necessary, and come to faith in Jesus Christ, the same barrier exists for all men in one way or another. This is why the Apostles asked the question above and why Jesus responded by saying that the impossible is possible for God. The truth is no one can be saved in his own power to live righteously and choose God over our earthly desires. Salvation comes by faith alone, and faith is the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). That is why Jesus says it is impossible for men, and possible only with God. Note that the reverse of Matthew 6:24 is also true. If a person loves and is devoted to God, he will despise wealth. That is to say, he will not put his confidence in his wealth or rest in it. We see this with Abraham as well, as Scripture tells us he never saw this earth as his home. Hebrews 11:9-10 puts it this way: By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Abraham was never devoted to his wealth. He always looked forward to heaven, where his true home was. So, in summary, Scripture does not tell us that a wealthy person cannot go to heaven. Rather, God says that a person who devotes himself to wealth and to gaining more of it cannot be a servant of God, because such a person is giving evidence that mooney is their master, and he cannot serve two masters. People who serve wealth (or make it their god) clearly do not seek to serve God because they do they know Him truly. In all likelihood, these people will not go to heaven, unless and until they come to know the one true God in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-03-01T03:38:45+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/hot_rocks_and_swiss_rolls/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/hot_rocks_and_swiss_rolls/#When:16:52:18Z   Ladies, this one is for you. The hype of the Valentine’s Day season usually ends with all the disappointment of real life compared to a romance novel. In light of that, maybe this will be a balm to your wounds. Do you remember how it was to be about 16 years old? Maybe that was the official “car-date” age for you as it was for me. Leading up to this monumental freedom was a period of time where your girlfriends were your all in all. There was nothing better than time with your best-friends, (besties or BFFs in today’s language). You giggled and laughed. You shared deep-dark secrets and swore to never tell (and didn’t, imagine that). You cried about the mean girls and exchanged everything from socks to hairstyles. There was nothing you didn’t know about each other and you knew that nothing would ever separate you. Then came car-dating. Remember how it was? From across the class room, or basketball court, or chess-board (OK probably not), you saw him. He glanced at you. Your knees turned to jelly and your heart was set ablaze. You could think of nothing else, talk of nothing else, and your besties were kind enough to indulge your fantasies of true love. Then he asked you to go to the movies and the romance began. Remember what else happened? You dropped your friends like a handful of hot rocks.  Yep. We all did it. Even if we didn’t intend to do it, the focus of our lives shifted from lip-gloss to lip locks.  And let’s face it ladies, lip locks win out every time. Yeah, we probably felt some remorse, and when our beloved was not around, we longed for a good heart-to-heart with our best girl friends, but we were willing to make the sacrifice for true love. My point? Well, it might take some explaining so bear with me. When I was about seven and a half months pregnant, I ate an entire box of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. The entire box. In one sitting. That’s 6 twin packs, or (count ‘em) 12 Swiss Rolls. I ate them sitting in my car in front of the Target store where I had stopped to buy…you guessed it, Little Debbie Swiss Rolls.  I could blame the episode on pregnancy, but truthfully that would just be an excuse to cover up what was really going on. I was scared. I was unbelievably insecure in my ability to be a good mother (And stuffing twelve Swiss Rolls through to my unborn son was a great start, don’t you think?). I wanted to have a complete emotional flip-out, but needed, for the sake of my own sanity, to cram those fears and insecurities down as far as I could get them so that I could remain in control. Twelve Swiss Rolls did the trick, and in the way all best friends do, they soothed my tears, patted my back, stroked my hair, and whispered reassuring words to me as I cried in the dark.  You may not have the same best friends that I do (and I have more than one, because I am very popular in this regard) but I bet you have a handful of your own.  As women, we tend to be drawn to friends like say, romance novels, dishing-the-dirt, and shopping. Maybe your best friends include sleep that comes from a pill or a bottle, TV, exercise, or compulsive work.  Maybe your best friend is your great big house and all your pretty dishes, or the fancy car you drive. I don’t know your best friends, but I certainly know my own. I love them. They make me feel good. They make me feel safe, and accepted, and loved. They give me security and identity and a sense of power. They will be my Best Friends Forever! Until I fall in love. I don’t mean settling for a car date with my BFF in the back seat. Christ, my beloved, is coming for me! He is riding on His white horse and His name is “Faithful” and “True”. His eyes are blazing with fire, and He has come to take His bride to the banquet. Be still my heart!! Be quiet my besties!! I don’t need you anymore, for my True Love has come. He will never leave me or forsake me. He draws my eyes away from everything that has been His shabby substitute. He has captured my heart, my mind, my soul. He leaves no room for thoughts of others, leaves no open invitation to other friends. He completely satisfies me with His great romance. He will never leave me with a sugar headache and guilt (or an extra two pounds). He will never leave me trying to find a new anesthesia. He will never leave me alone with my friends crowding around clamoring for attention, demanding I descend from my “high” so that they can build me back up. “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a) Oh wait! That’s my best friend’s ring tone…I gotta get… “How beautiful you are my darling! Oh, how beautiful!” (Song of Solomon 4:1)…never mind, I’ll call her back later. Maybe. Now what was that you were saying, my love? Like I said ladies…a handful of hot rocks! VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-02-26T16:52:18+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/explaining_the_kingdom_of_god/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/explaining_the_kingdom_of_god/#When:01:53:10Z   Can you explain what the "Kingdom of God" is in the Bible?   The term "Kingdom of God" has been interpreted to mean many things. Typically, Bible students either believe the Kingdom is a literally, physical time and place or is merely a metaphor for something else. Within these two broad categories, there are multiple variants of belief.  For example, some who take a literal view of the Kingdom believe it is present on earth today, while others view it to be a future time and place on the earth, while still others view it to be a combination of both a present Kingdom and a future Kingdom. VBVM adheres to a strict literal view of Scripture wherever possible, including in this case. Specifically, we understand Jesus to teach about His Kingdom in the most literal sense: it is a future time and place and people. The fulfillment of the Kingdom will occur in the 1,000 year reign of Christ on Earth following His return to Earth at the end of the Tribulation (Rev 19 & 20). At that time, Christ will occupy the throne of David and rule over Jerusalem, the Jewish nation and over all nations of the Earth. He rules until all things have been placed under subjection to Himself at the end of the 1,000 years (1Cor 15:28). We believe the Bible precludes any other interpretation or understanding of God's Kingdom. Its important to remember that Jesus spoke of a literal Kingdom. For example, in Luke 22:18, Jesus says: "For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes." This statement only makes sense when interpreted in light of a literal, physical Kingdom to come. If His kingdom is a literal reign, then like any kingdom it must consist of three things: a king, a land with specific borders, and a people to rule over. The Bible gives us all three elements when it describes Christ's Kingdom. First, many, many places in Scripture testify to the plain fact that Jesus is the King of God's Kingdom, including His own words in Matt 27:11: Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the  King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “ It is as you say.” Secondly, Scripture makes clear that the people of the King are the Jewish nation. Isaiah 11 and Deuteronomy 30 (among many other places in Scripture) make clear that the Christ is the King promised to rule over Israel. Because of Israel's disobedience, however, the Gentile nations are being grafted into these promises to share in the kingdom of Israel and the opportunity to know their King. Nevertheles, the Gentiles will never replace or substitute for the Jewish subjects of Christ's rule, who have been promised to live in the Kingdom. We are always to be "a strange people" who have been invited to join the kingdom as Christ's Bride (Rom 11:11-36). Third, the land Christ will rule over includes the entire world, but He rules from Zion and Jerusalem Scripture says. The land of Christ's Kingdom includes the whole world, but it is specifically headquartered in Jerusalem, and since this has not happen as yet, we know the Kingdom is a future event to today. Christ our King didn't set up His literal kingdom on Earth and rule over the Jewish nation at His first coming, because though Jesus declared many times in the Gospels that HIs kingdom was "at hand," His people rejected Him. So Jesus departed for a time while He waits for the Jewish people to reverse that decision. We see Him make this declaration in Luke 13:34-35: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together,  just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘ BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” Because the King was rejected by His people, He declined to reign at this first opportunity. Instead, He went to the cross and then entrusted the message of the coming kingdom (i.e., the Gospel) with His Church so we might carry it forward until His return. So, today the kingdom is still "at hand," just as it was when Jesus came Himself. It will remain "at hand" until the King returns to establish the Kingdom in fact (Heb 3:7-13).  Jesus describes this situation of a delayed kingdom in the parable of the minas: Luke 19:11  While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because  He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that  the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. Luke 19:12 So He said, “ A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.Luke 19:13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten  minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this  until I come back.’Luke 19:14 “But his citizens hated him and sent  a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’Luke 19:15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.Luke 19:16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘ Master, your  mina has made ten minas more.’Luke 19:17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been  faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’Luke 19:18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your  mina,  master, has made five minas.’Luke 19:19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’Luke 19:20 “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;Luke 19:21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’Luke 19:22 “He  said to him, ‘ By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?Luke 19:23 ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’Luke 19:24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’Luke 19:25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’Luke 19:26 “ I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.Luke 19:27 “But  these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and  slay them in my presence.” We see clearly from this parable that the kingdom was not intended to appear at Jesus' first coming (see Luke 19:11). Rather, the arrival of the kingdom was delayed until Jesus' return, pictured by the Master's return in Luke 19:15. Likewise, we today await the King's return so He may rule over His physical kingdom and subjects in a future day. We have many in-depth teachings available online that address this topic. In particular, our teaching through the Gospel of Luke examine's Jesus' own statements concerning the Kingdom at many points, as does our teaching through Revelation and our on-going study through Isaiah. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-01-30T01:53:10+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/lights_on_please/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/lights_on_please/#When:01:43:49Z   It’s raining today. I like the rain, but I don’t like to drive in it, because I am frustrated by the people who drive around in the rain with their lights off. I can’t see them! Generally speaking, I don’t see well to begin with, but the combination of the mist on my windows, the glare on the street, and a steel-grey sky make it nearly impossible for me to see anything that isn’t fully illuminated. Oh, I know these lightless drivers can see the road, and they can see me, but I can’t see them and that could be tragic!  I was fuming over this a while ago as I was returning from my errands, clutching the steering wheel in white-knuckled terror, when I ran over a spiritual truth. Sometimes, no one can see me. My lights are not on. This fact became glaringly clear as the Lord reminded me of an incident that happened some days ago. I ran into the drugstore “real quick” just to grab something that was on sale. The gal mistakenly rang it up without my coupon, so three registers later I stood waiting for a manager (second call) to come and make the adjustment. I felt my short afternoon becoming shorter by the minute but not my to-do list. I know seeing myself in hindsight that my arms were crossed, my brows were knit in barely-concealed frustration, my lips were pursed (around my tongue, which I was biting), and I was glaring in the general vicinity of the cashier who had caused all this inconvenience in the beginning. That’s all it was really, an inconvenience, but I had turned it into one black storm, and my lights were not on as I tried to navigate through it. Consider the words of our Lord. No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. – Luke 11:33 Every driver on the street is a soul looking for light. They may be a brother in Christ looking for a ray of hope and encouragement; a sign that they’re headed the right direction and are almost home. Often they’re the half-blind driver beginning to squint through the gloom, hoping to see even a faint glimmer by which they can navigate. Occasionally they’re the drivers who are so completely in the dark that they don’t know until they see you that they are on the wrong side of the road, approaching disaster. If your lights aren’t on, how can they know? So, next time you find yourself in the grey, or in a flat out pull-to-the-side-of-the-road squall, remember the drivers out there who need to see you with your lights on. Ahhh…there you are! VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-01-30T01:43:49+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_christian_participate_in_halloween/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_a_christian_participate_in_halloween/#When:18:15:32Z   Is is proper for a Christian to observe or participate in Halloween?   This quesiton was addressed in an article written by Stephen Armstrong. You can find the article here. Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2010-01-23T18:15:32+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/what_are_ages_in_scripture/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/what_are_ages_in_scripture/#When:17:56:37Z   I see many Scriptures that talk about this "age" and the "age to come." What are ages and how many are there?   Regarding the ages mentioned in Scripture, there are at least three and possibly four ages referenced in Scripture. First, there is the age prior to Christ's appearing. Peter describes this age of waiting for Christ in the introduction to his first letter (1Peter 3-12): Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy  has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are  protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various  trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time  the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories  to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by  the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things into which angels long to  look. In verse 5, Peter refers to our salvation in Christ has been revealed in the "last time." In the Greek, the words are "eschatos kairos," which translated literally means "the end of the age." The salvation we have now in Christ revealed is a salvation revealed in the last age. So, ages are measured, according to Scripture, with respect to God's plan of redemption. The age before Christ's revealing is the first age, which then gave way to our current age called "the last times" or the Church age. Notice that Peter says in verses 10-12 that the prophets were serving us in that earlier age by revealing the truth concerning Christ and the age to come, things that angels long to look upon. Paul echoes this in his letter to the Colossians (Col 1:25-27): Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His  saints, to whom  God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Other verses in the New Testament (including the ones you quoted) speak of yet another age to follow this one. Again, ages are defined according to events in God's plan of redemption, so this future age will complete God's plan of redemption.  According to Scripture, we know this future age is the age of Christ's kingdom on Earth, the Millennial reign of Christ described in Revelation 20. This age will, in turn, give way to a fourth age called the Eternal order.  Paul describes this age in 1Corinthians 15:25-28: For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be  abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. Paul gives us glimpse of what follows the 1,000-year reign of Christ, when he describes the age to follow as a time when God becomes "all in all." John also gives a tantilizing description of this future age in Revelation 21 and 22. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-01-23T17:56:37+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_does_evolution_contradict_scripture/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_does_evolution_contradict_scripture/#When:17:16:44Z   I have heard your "Evolution vs. Creation" presentation, but I can't remember the reasons you said Evolution contradicted Scripture. Can you summarive the points again?   Our Evolution or Creation seminar, The Rocks Cry Out, is a 5-hour presentation on the flaws in the science of Evolution and the ways in which it opposes and contradicts the Bible. The course offers many proofs and includes many details we can't provide here in this short answer. Simply put, Evolution theory conflicts with Scripture in many fundamental ways. Meanwhile, here are some key points from the presentation: - The entire account of Creation in Genesis 1-2 stands opposed to Evolution. God created everything as it is, out of nothing, and did so in six literal days. - Death was not a part of God's creation. Death is the result of God's curse on the Earth as a result of man's sin. God's future plan for the Earth removes this curse and eliminates death altogether. Evolution declares the opposite, that death is normal, natural and essential to advancing species. According to Evolution theory, death will always exist. - God's word declares that the world is withering away, decaying and groaning under the weight of sin. Lives are growing shorter, disease will increase, resources will diminish. Therefore, Creation longs for a day when it will be replaced. Evolution declares the opposite, that the normal course of life and death results in an improvement of each new generation over the previous generation.  Evolution states that lives are lengthening, health is improving through survival of the fittest. - Paul declares in Romans that because through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and by that sin death spread to all men, therefore through one man (Christ) eternal life is made available. This New Testament theology declares that Jesus came the New Adam and lived a sinless life so that His death on the cross could pay the penalty for our sin and put an end to death. His sacrifice, therefore, was necessary to reverse the course of death for those who trust in Him. Our salvation rests on this cornerstone theology, and it depends on a literal Adam because it attributes all death to his act of sin. Evolution completely reverses this thinking and completely negates the need for Christ.  If death is natural and came before men and their sin, then the theology of the New Testament is bankrupt. There would be no need for a "new Adam" if there was no original Adam, and if death came before sin, then there is no value found in Christ's death for our sin. How does God dying in our place put an end to death if death is natural and not the result of disobedience? Our Evolution vs. Creation class explains and more in greater detail, but these points are the main highlights.   Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2010-01-23T17:16:44+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_there_a_palestinian_covenant_in_scripture/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_there_a_palestinian_covenant_in_scripture/#When:04:40:45Z   Is Deuteronomy 30:1-9 the Palestinian Covenant? Some say these verses are a new covenant between God and Israel, bus others say no. Some scholars have argued that Deuteronomy 30:1-9 contains a new and separate covenant from the one offered through Moses, a covenant commonly called the Palestinial Covenant. The name comes from the language in Deuteronomy, where God promises Israel their land (in Palestine) as an everlasting inheritance. Though this view seems to be less popular than it once was, it still finds its proponents, particularly among some Dispensationalists. VBVM does not believe Deuteronomy 30 offers a new, distinct covenant. The chapter contains none of the characteristic covenant signs or language, nor does Scripture ever refer to the promises in Deuteronomy 30 as a separate covenant by name (except as part of the Moasic or Old Covenant).Rather than offering a new covenant, we believe that Deuteronomy 30 reaffirms God's promises to Israel under an earlier, perpetual covenant: the Abrahamic Covenant. God uses the occasion of the giving of His Law to remind Israel of His promises to Abraham at several points, including in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 30. These reminders were intended to teach Israel that righteousness and the opportunity to live eternally with God in His kingdom did not rest on their performance of the Law but on their faith and trust in the One who could perform the Law on their behalf (i.e., by grace).Paul makes the same point in Romans 10:5-10, when he teaches that Moses' words in Deuteronomy 30 were a call to salvation through a confession of faith, not to a life of righteousness by performing the works of the Law. Therefore, we understand that Deuteronomy 30 was not a new promise or covenant but a reaffirmation of God's early promise to Abraham that he would become a father to all who believe (Rom 4:13) and would dwell forever in the land God gave Him.     Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-01-22T04:40:45+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_someone_continue_in_sin_and_still_be_save/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/can_someone_continue_in_sin_and_still_be_save/#When:23:56:10Z   What will be the state of someone who had accepted Christ as his personal Saviour (Christian) but still fornicating, when he dies, so far as salvation is concerned?   First and foremost, it’s important for us to understand how we become a Christian, that is, how we are saved.  While I won’t list all references here, the following verses are very clear and explicit.  They tell us in no uncertain terms that salvation is an act of God, not of man.  Put another way, God is completely sovereign over who is and is not saved. Romans 9:16-18: So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Ephesians 1:3-5: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Again, there are many more Scriptures that testify to God’s sovereignty in salvation, but these make the point very explicitly and clearly. Furthermore, Scripture makes clear that Jesus did two things for Christians. First, in His death on the cross, Jesus took God’s wrath upon Himself, the wrath that every Christian deserved because all mankind are sinners.  By His death, all of our sins (past, present and future) have been forgiven.  Second, Christ’s own righteousness is imputed, or credited, to the Christian by faith. The following Scriptures make this clear: Romans 5:8-11: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 4:1-8: What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:  "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” Romans 4:22-25:Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 5:19: For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Hebrews 10:10-14: By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.  For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. So, summarizing, we see that we are saved by God’s grace, not our own will or works.  In addition, our salvation is not contingent on what we do even after we have been saved, because we are counted righteous by what Jesus did. Finally, all of our sins have been forgiven by Christ’s death and resurrection. In this sense, we have already been “perfected” (Hebrews 10:14) in that God has already punished our sin in Christ on the cross, and we are made perfect by Christ’s obedience, with His righteousness credited to the believer. Clearly, this means that if we have truly been saved, we cannot lose our salvation. Remember, Ephesians 2:8 says that salvation is the gift of God. Romans 11:29 says, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”  Therefore, if God has saved us, we are saved forevermore. Now, let’s apply all of this to your question.  f a person has truly received God’s gracious gift of faith, then that person will go to heaven. His actions after becoming a believer do not determine his salvation because, as we’ve shown, salvation is totally due to actions taken on God’s part, not man’s.  Scripture also gives us examples of believers who sinned in major ways. Consider the following: 1. Peter, when he denied he even knew Christ (Luke 22:55-62).  Of course, Jesus restored and forgave Peter. 2. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). 3. The unnamed believer in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. Having said that, our actions as Christians do have consequences, both here and in eternity in heaven.  As the examples above attest, God requires that we discipline those in the church who continue in a life of sin. Matthew 18:15-20 gives clear instructions as to how sinning believers are to be handled. Ultimately, if they refuse to stop sinning, we are to put them out of the church. This is for the destruction of their flesh, not that they would lose their salvation (see 1 Cor. 5:1-5), with the ultimate goal of restoring them to fellowship (as Jesus did with Peter). Sadly, this is rarely done in today’s church. The Lord makes clear that He will discipline those He loves. Therefore, if we continue in sin, we can expect to be put out of fellowship with the church, as well as God’s chastisement. Hebrews 12:4-7 makes this clear: You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."  It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? We also face consequences in heaven in eternity for what we do here on earth as believers. Again, our salvation is not in question, but the level of rewards we will receive in heaven depend on how we serve God while on earth.  This is made most clear in 1 Corinthians 3:9-17: For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” Note that in this passage, believers are compared to a building. The foundation of our salvation is Jesus Christ. What we do in this life to serve God (the building) will be tested when we go to heaven.  If we have not served God, which would include a believer continuing in sin, then our works will not pass the test. They will be like wood and straw, useless and burned up in the testing fire.  With nothing to show for our lives in service to God, we will still be saved (v. 15), but we will lose any potential rewards. If we have lived a life in service to God, bearing fruit that lasts, our work will be like gold and precious stones, surviving God’s testing fire.  This will lead to rewards in heaven. One final point...a person who claims to be a Christian but yet never bears fruit and continues in a habitual life of sin, may not, in fact, be a Christian. (Indeed, Scripture says fornicators will not enter the kingdom of God, refering to those who live a lifestyle marked by this pattern of sin (1 Cor. 6:9).)  Obviously, all Christians sin while here on earth, but the issue is one of continuing to practice sin in such a way that it suggests an unchanged (unsaved) heart. 1John 3:7-9 puts it this way: Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Obviously, some Christians will practice righteousness better than others. Ultimately, however, only God knows who is truly a believer and who is not. Therefore, we must be careful that we don’t go make subjective judgments as to who is and is not a Christian based on their works. Still, we may have reason to doubt the confession of one who by his works appears to be unchanged. Ideally, of course, we’d expect to see some evidence of a changed life in the behavior of a true believer.  While there are degrees of change from believer to believer, Scripture tells us that God has prepared us for good works, so this should be our expectation as well. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-01-02T23:56:10+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_visible_vs._invisible_church/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_visible_vs._invisible_church/#When:23:46:27Z   Shouldn't the the word translated as "church" in most modern Bible translations actually be "those set apart by God," making the "visible church" a total fabrication of man and denominations and church buildins as they exist today an abomination to God?   Regarding the visible church discussed in our Revelation class, we can agree with your statement – to a point. Certainly, the word for Church in Greek is ekklesia, which means "of invited guests." The Church is a God-made entity comprised of those the Spirit of God invites into the faith. This is the only true Church, which is what we mean when we discuss the "invisible" church.Only those invited by Christ and indwelled by the Holy Spirit are true Christians, and these are the Church exclusively. This group can be said to be invisible, because only God can know who they are with certainty. They are marked by the invisible Spirit of God.On the other hand, the "visible" church is a term we use to refer to any gather of people in physical buildings under the banner of Christ. For example, when any Christian congregation gathers, it is a visible event (i.e., we can perceive it with our eyes), and so we call this gathering the visible church. Ideally, every gathering would consist entirely of true believers, in which case the visible church and the invisible would always be one and the same. In reality, this is rarely the case, as many churches have unbelievers gathered unknowingly in their midst. Consequently, we use the term visible church to describe a union of both the true invisible Church (i.e., believers) with the false converts (i.e., unbelievers). This is where we would disagree with your comments. The visible church is a reality (not a fabrication), because it does exist as we've defined it. Real, physical buildings with real, living people do exist, and we call these gatherings the visible Church. On the other hand, we are not saying that the visible church is comprised entirely of the true, invisible Church of believers. We acknowledge it is usually a mixed gathering of both believers and unbelievers. In the worst case, it is entirely unbelievers (as represented by the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation), and in the best case it is entirely believers (as represented by the church of Philadelphia). Whether any given visible church is "an abomination" to God is a matter of personal opinion, though the Bible does acknowledge the inevitability of unbelievers congregating with believers at times without suggesting it is an abomination (i.e., 1Cor 14:23; Luke 13:19, among others). Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2010-01-02T23:46:27+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_did_moses_have_to_take_off_his_sandals/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_did_moses_have_to_take_off_his_sandals/#When:23:36:13Z   Having just listened to your teaching in Ruth, I happened to think about Moses at the burning bush. When the Lord told him to take off his shoes, he was standing on holy ground. In Ruth, taking off the sandal was done by the one who failed to redeem, so if Moses had to takeoff his shoe was it because Moses had fled Egypt and failed to redeem Israel at that time because he fled?   Your observation was excellent, but it leads to a slightly different conclusion than the one you offered. First, we should be clear on the literal meaning of the text in Exodus 3. Moses was instructed to remove his sandals, because he was standing on holy ground. The meaning is clear: God demanded that Moses humble himself in the presence of a holy God. But as you suggested, there is a deeper meaning as well. If you remember, Moses is offered in Scripture as a type (or picture) of the Law. Since we know the Law can never be the means by which men may reach heaven (i.e., we can't enter heaven by works of the Law), Moses is used frequently as a picture of this truth. For example, we know that Moses wasn't permitted to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Instead, Moses died in the desert, and Joshua (which is Yeshua in Hebrew or Jesus in Greek) was the one to lead the Israelites into Canaan.  Through this example, we see how Moses was used as a type of the Law, in the way the Law cannot lead men to heaven, only Yeshua (Jesus) can. Likewise, in your example we can also see Moses being used as a type of the Law. The Law was never intend to be the means for redeeming men form sin, as Paul says clearly in Romans 3:20-21: Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, So as a redeemer, Moses was unable to serve God's purposes. In that sense, he "removed his sandals" and it was left to God to be the redeemer of Israel and all men. Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-01-02T23:36:13+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/womens_dress_in_church/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/womens_dress_in_church/#When:23:22:42Z   According to the Bible, may women wear pants instead of dresses in a church service?   On the issue of women wearing pants in church (as opposed to wearing only dresses), the Bible is silent on this specific point, so our personal liberty in Christ and the commandment to love one another must dictate our choices in this area. We know that the word of God teaches that women (and men) should dress modestly at all times, so we may avoid becoming a cause for others to sin. In some cases, women wearing pants at church might be a poor choice according to these standards, yet in other cases such attire would be harmless and therefore appropriate. The decision for what constitutes proper attire for women (and men, for that matter) in any church ultimately rests on the guidance of the church leadership, and to a lessor degree on the cultural expectations of the congregation. We are called to obey those appointed over us in the church (Heb 13:17), including in matters of personal liberty, so if the elders believe women shouldn't wear pants in church, then women should obey this restriction. Secondly, if the congregation has certain cultural expectations for dress standards, then anyone called to fellowship in that congregation should be prepared to observe those cultural requirements out of love for the Body and respect for the concerns of others. To do otherwise would be to cause disagreement and disharmony within the Body of Christ. On the other hand, anyone who strongly objects to a church's dress standards is free to seek a different fellowship, where dress standards are more compatible with her views on personal liberty in Christ. Finally, keep in mind that personal dress is not an essential issue of faith, so consider that the Bible consistently calls upon Christians to forgo their own personal liberties for the sale of the unity of the Body and for the higher principle of loving one another (Rom 14). Bible Questions & Answers, Church Practice 2010-01-02T23:22:42+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/who_was_resurrected_first/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/who_was_resurrected_first/#When:23:19:46Z   If there was no one resurrected before Christ, then what about the raising of Lazarus? Is his resurrection different because he was still subject to death again?   According to Scripture, Jesus was the first person to be resurrected (1Cor 15:20), and you offered part of the answer in your question for why we cannot consider Lazarus (or any of the other people Jesus raised from the dead) to have preceded Jesus in resurrection. Resurrection as it is described in Scripture requires two elements, neither of which were present for Lazarus nor the other people raised from the dead during Jesus' ministry on Earth. First, as you say each person Jesus raised prior to his own resurrection was subject to death again at some later point. A true resurrection is one that returns a person to a permanent state of new life, one in which the person is never to be subjected to death again (see Heb 9:27; Rom 6:8-9; 1Cor 15:54, etc.).  When Lazarus died, he didn't face the moment of judgment nor did he escape death forever. Once Jesus raised him from the dead, he continued in his Earthly life and eventually faced his true death and judgment. Secondly, resurrection is a transformation into a new body, one that is fundamentally different than the one that preceded it. Paul describes the nature of true resurrection at length in 1Cor 15, where he teaches that the body of a resurrected believer is a new, better form than the previous body. When Lazarus and the others like him were brought back to life, they merely returned to their existing, corrupt body. This is why they had to die again, because the putting away of our present body is a necessary prerequisite to receiving a new body. If we assume that Lazarus was a believer in Jesus Christ (probably a safe assumption), then we can be sure he will one day be resurrected into a new body (together with all believers) and will live eternally with Christ. His earlier "brush with death" was not his resurrection moment, but simply an opportunity or God to display His power over death. The account in John 11 makes clear that God intended for Lazarus to die temporarily so that he could be raised again (John 11:4). Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-01-02T23:19:46+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_did_cain_and_abel_know_to_sacrifice/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_did_cain_and_abel_know_to_sacrifice/#When:22:50:34Z   When Cain and Abel offer sacrifices in Genesis 4, it doesn't seem to be the first time that they made an offering. They seem to know what God expected of them. Why don't we have any background in Scripture on what happened prior to this occurance?   While we don’t have a complete picture from Scripture, we do have enough information to help us make some logical assumptions. While Cain and Abel's offering in Genesis 4 appears with no explicit explanation as to why the offering is being made, we do have other Scriptures to help us understand. First, we know this wasn't the first offering recorded in Scripture, The very first offering was made in Genesis 3:21, when God made clothes of animal skin for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness. Using animal skins means animals were killed, most likely as a sacrifice for the sin in the Garden. This offering also foreshadowed Christ’s offering, whose righteousness covers our sin (Romans 4:3-8). In both cases, blood was shed, because the shedding of blood is necessary for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The fact that God made an offering for Adam and Eve's sin and that Abel and Cain are making offerings that include at least one animal's death allows us to assume that God had instructed Adam and Eve to make such offerings going forward, and they naturally passed that instruction on to their children.  In fact, it only makes sense to assume God instructed man concerning sacrifices, otherwise how God could be said to be pleased or displeased with Abel and Cain's offerings? While the heart of the one offering is ultimately most important, we know from later Scripture that the manner of our offerings us also important to God. So, while it’s possible (and even likely) that this is not the first human offering made, this was the moment in which God decided to confront Cain’s unbelief. In our Genesis teaching, both Abel and Cain offered more than one thing, so God was not displeased with the manner of Cain's offering but with his heart, that is his lack of faith. As we read in Hebrews 11:4-6: By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks….And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Therefore, we thank God for the only offering that truly saves, His Son, Jesus Christ. Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-01-02T22:50:34+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_parable_of_the_fig_tree/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_parable_of_the_fig_tree/#When:22:40:23Z   In Mark 11: 14 Jesus gives the parable of the fig tree. Please help me to understand this parable. Is it dealing with the coming death of Christ?   Regarding Mark 11, Jesus caused the fig tree to wither so He could use it as an object lesson for the disciples. Fig trees are used throughout scripture as a picture of the nation of Israel, and a withered fig tree is a picture of God extending His judgment against an unfruitful Israel (see Jer 8:5-13). When Jesus came upon the fig tree, we're told in Mark that Jesus looked for fruit but only found leaves. Curiously, later in the same verse (v.13) Mark tells the reader that this was not the season for figs. Obviously, Jesus would have known that there would be no figs on the tree out of season, so He "looked" for figs merely to make a point. After finding no fruit, Jesus commanded that the tree wither and die. Jesus was making a point about the coming judgment against Israel, pictured by a fig tree withering. As a nation, Israel was established by God for the purpose of bearing spiritual fruit, ultimately the fruit of receiving God's Son. Nevertheless, the nation was only interested in pursuing an outward religious lifestyle (i.e., bearing leaves) without showing a true faith in the Messiah (i.e., bearing spiritual fruit). Therefore, the nation was acting hypocritically in putting forth leaves without ever bearing fruit. As a result, God judged the nation for their unbelief (see Luke 13:43-15) You can study much more on this important topic by listening to several teachings available online. First, listen to Lessons 13B and 21A (or read the teaching notes) from the Gospel of Luke. These lessons give a deeper explanation of how the fig tree pictures Israel and God's judgement of the nation.  Secondly, we strongly recommend you listen to our Ruth series. The book of Ruth is an excellent series for understanding God's plan for the nation of Israel. The Ruth series is relatively short but it should answer many of your questions on this important topic. Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-01-02T22:40:23+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_couldnt_jesus_disciples_casdt_out_the_demon/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_couldnt_jesus_disciples_casdt_out_the_demon/#When:22:33:30Z   In Mark 9:29 Jesus told his diciples that the reason they could not cast out the dumb and deaf spirit was because this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. Was the reason that they could not drive the spirit out was it because they could not fast at the time because Jesus was with them? Regarding the passage in Mark 9, the disciples' collective failure to casting out the demon was not due to an inability to fast. It is actually part of a much larger spiritual issue, and we have a specific teaching regarding this scene and the meaning of Jesus' words available online. The teaching is found in Lesson 11C in our series on the Gospel of Luke (since Luke records the same scene). Please download the audio teaching for Lesson 11C or read the accompanying teaching notes. Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2010-01-02T22:33:30+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_did_indians_in_north_america_come_from_adam_and_eve/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_did_indians_in_north_america_come_from_adam_and_eve/#When:22:01:13Z   If all men came from Adam and Eve in Mesopotamia, how did the Indians of North America get to America? From the account of the Flood in Genesis, we can make some assumptions as to how different peoples were dispersed around the world after the Flood. It’s pretty clear from looking at a world map that the major continents fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Most geologists believe that all of the land masses were together as a single piece of land. This “supercontinent” has been called “Pangea” (from the Greek “pan”, meaning entire, and “gaia” for earth), pictured here in this graphic. Scientists debate how quickly Pangea broke apart. Those believing in evolution tend to view this as occurring over millions or even billions of years. Since evolution is inconsistent with Scripture, we knoiw this must have occured over a much shorter period of time, most likely as a result of the Flood. Let’s see how Scripture describes this event. In Genesis 7:11, we read: In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. This was the first rain that ever fell upon the earth, as we read elsewhere in Genesis that God previously sent up a mist that watered the earth. There was probably adequate water in the atmosphere and from fountains below the earth to cover the world in water. Regardless, it’s important to note in the text “all the fountains of the great deep burst open." Clearly, there were large amounts of water under the earth that burst open when God sent the Flood. This is likely what led to Pangea breaking apart. How quickly this happened Scripture does not tell us. However, we do know from Genesis 7:21-23 that: All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. So, from Scripture and from the world today we can know the following: Noah and his family were the only humans on the face of the earth; it would have taken time for Noah and his family to repopulate the earth; we now find humans on every major continent on the earth (apart from Antarctica); and 4) there is archaeological evidence that peoples have lived on every continent for thousands of years, including some like the Indians of North America and the Aborigines of Australia, who show no history of sea navigation. From these facts, we can safely conclude that men walked to North America and Australia rather than traveling by ship. Given this data, we can conclude that there must have been a way for peoples to travel from continent to continent by land. Scripture does not address this potic specifically, so we have to make some assumptions from scientific findings. Some scientists theorize there were “land bridges” connecting the continents for a time as they moved apart. So, as the Lord broke apart Pangea during the Flood, He did slowly enough to allow time for Noah's descendents to migrate acorss these bridges. God have mankind this direction originally in Genesis 8:17 saying, Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. It’s impossible to say exactly how fast this occurred, but this is a plausible explanation consistent with scripture explaining how peoples were disbursed to the several continents. Over time, these land bridges became submerged in the oceans or broke free from the continents. Even today, the continents (the earth’s plates) continue to move, which is why we have earthquakes. Scripture also tells us that God purposely scattered the peoples throughout the earth. This occurred at the tower of Babel. In Genesis 10, God tells of the various families of the sons of Noah that repopulated the earth. Genesis 10:25 says, Two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. Peleg means “division," while earth here can mean land or inhabitants. In Genesis 11:4-9, we read that there was only one language in all the earth, and we encounter the story of the tower of Babel. The story is encapsulated in the following verses: They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. ”Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth. Clearly, the Lord did not want the people to stay in one place. Rather, He wanted them to scatter abroad, which God accomplished by creating different languages. It’s logical to assume that those who could understand one another stayed together and were traveled together to one part of the earth, and likewise for every distinct language group. It’s also possible that Genesis 10:25 refers to both the division of the inhabitants of the earth as well as the division of the continents. However, this is unlikely, because such an event (the continents being divided rather rapidly at the time of the tower of Babel) would probably be recorded in human history. For example, most ancient cultures have an account of the Flood, no doubt handed down from Noah and his sons. Since we have no other recorded event where the continents suddenly and rapidly moved apart, we rest on the explanation that the continents moved during the flood. Similarly, land bridges are likely the best explanation for how the peoples moved from one continent to another. Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2010-01-02T22:01:13+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/god_up_a_tree/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/god_up_a_tree/#When:21:35:51Z   Because my neighborhood is in more of a rural area than even a sub-urban area, there are some unusual things about living here. There are no covenants or neighborhood restrictions, and though there is a leash-law in our tiny community, the four police officers in town have better things to do than doggie-patrol, I guess. That means that all the neighborhood dogs have developed a sort of nomadic lifestyle, wandering into and out of the yards of our subdivision. That’s alright with most folks and their dogs, but Shalee is different. Shalee is a Brindle Coated American Squirrel Dog. Yeah. That’s what I thought. She’s a beautiful dog, resembling a smallish Greyhound, but she is by far the squirreliest dog I have ever encountered…and dumb. She will run – Greyhound speed – straight at you and will not stop until she has careened into your legs causing you to collapse on top of her. Even if you’re standing still, it’s a sure bet that if Shalee is around, you’re going down. Here’s the dumb part. Down the road a bit, there is a small horse farm where Shalee decided to branch out. Shalee’s owners had only this to say, “We nearly bought a horse.” That’s how Shalee came to be a prisoner of the invisible fence. She is, to my knowledge, the only convict in the neighborhood. It’s not as bad as it sounds since our lots have at least one acre, and Shalee happens to own the two giant oak trees that survived from when the subdivision was pasture land. She’s made good use of those trees now that they are her only companions. (Even the dogs won’t go near her. The little Dachshund that used to live with her has taken up residence with the neighbor behind us…no kidding.) Just this afternoon as I walked past my window, I saw Shalee sitting at the foot of one of the trees in her yard staring intently into its branches. There are no squirrels there (I mentioned dumb, didn’t I?), but you can’t tell her that! She is so focused on every rustle of leaf and bow of branch that no distraction could tempt her eyes to wander from that tree for even a glimpse. She sits like that for hours. And in that snapshot of her today I learned something from dumb-dog Shalee. Shalee was engrossed in her task – the task of watching, waiting, listening. She was immersed in her undertaking, gripped by her duty, and captivated by the possibilities before her. She sat without moving (no small feat), her attention never wavering from what held her gaze. She was utterly focused on that tree, and in that moment I saw myself as I ought to be. As Jesus told Martha to be. As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her. - Luke 10:38-42 Though I hate to admit it, I am very much like Shalee before her first jolt, and I too deserve to be restrained by a strong electrical current much of the time. I am so busy running blindly into things and people, effectively clipping them off at the knees, taking on tasks too big for my britches, and generally making a nuisance of myself that no one wants to be around me. I nag. I worry. I complain. I’m critical and harsh. I’m uncontrolled. I’m unfocused. I am a whirlwind of useless activity that accomplishes nothing of eternal value. Look at this snapshot from the verses above. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said (Luke 10:39). That’s what I saw when I glimpsed Shalee out my window, and my heart longed for the ability to sit with rapt attention at the feet of my Lord. I wished for the capacity for focused, unwavering anticipation and confident expectation to the exclusion of the world around me. Dishes can wait. Laundry can wait. Work can wait. I am listening to my Lord. It is the better thing. Even if it takes a jolt or two, I pray that one day you might glimpse me through the window and find me sitting like Shalee, held spellbound, as if God Himself were in that tree. VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2010-01-02T21:35:51+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/broken_zippers/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/broken_zippers/#When:21:11:46Z   My eight-year-old daughter, Katerisha, came up to me this morning with a frown. In her hand was her prized possession that she had earned at school just the day before.She had won her little pink billfold for good behavior and for working hard in Math. Last night was spent transferring her dollar bills, her gift card and her coins, which she proudly told me she had been collecting anywhere she finds them, into their new home.Afterwards, she snapped what needed to be snapped, and zipped what needed to be zipped, and then proceeded to carry her billfold around with her for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, though, we live in a world of made-in-China rewards, and this morning brought sadness to Kat when she went to unzip her treasure only to discover that the zipper zipped clear off. She brought it to me as if somehow I could make it better. Maybe she thought that I could give it a magic-kiss to fix it simply because I’m a mom. Saddened, though, I knew that I couldn’t. Moms can’t fix everything, although God knows we often try. But this problem was beyond me, so I had to do the next best thing. I tried to encourage Kat by pointing out the good things that still remained in her prize. The purse still held her money. It was still pretty and pink. It was still her very own billfold, and she’d never had one before. By the end of it, Kat did seem a little more uplifted than before, but I could tell that her countenance was still down. And to be honest, I couldn’t blame her much at all. I was down, too, knowing how excited she had been just the day before. This world...it has a way of bringing you up, and then without so much as a moment’s notice, it can drop you just the same. Kat’s broken reward reminded me today of the fragility of this place that we call home and these lives that house our souls. I like to buy my clothes, for example, at second-hand shops simply because I don’t have to feel so badly if by chance I wash them with the wrong colors or on the wrong cycle or if I spill something on them and stain them (another talent of mine). Perhaps years of drying our clothes underneath the baking-sting of the African equatorial sun didn’t do much to help my confidence in things lasting or boost my desire to spend money on...cloth. Things in this life, no matter how much we try to make them go on forever, often don’t. They wear out, tear, get lost, get old, go out of style or just break altogether. Even our relationships sometimes dissolve, changing from something that used to bring us joy into something merely bearable at best or annoying at worst. People change, move, lose interest or simply get distracted by daily life. Knocking on the door of forty, I’m discovering how quickly our bodies wear out too. Oh joy. So much for tears over broken pink billfolds! People my age and older – or even younger – face much more than a broken, pink billfold. The aging prcess can make us wish for a return to the place where our deepest grief was merely a busted zipper on a prize purse. Okay, I'm going on and on with thoughts that might just swipe away your smile or remove the sparkle from your eyes. That's not my intention, though I’ll admit that after four decades, I’m not nearly as keen on this life as I was at the beginning. It’s very...temporal, apparently. Don’t misunderstand me...there is much within it that I do enjoy. I love kind people: especially funny, kind people. I love to smile. I love to laugh. Anyone who gets me to do either will be my forever-friend. But what I love even more is anyone who reminds me that this life isn’t all we have in store, anyone who reminds me that one day I will be in a better place with a better mind, better emotions, a better body, better relationships and better rewards. Jesus reminds us of this truth when He urges in Matthew 6:19-21: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Jesus wanted us to remember that zippers will break down here where we are, but we can take heart in knowing that whatever we ‘pay forward’ into eternity will be forever ours. Life comes with loss on this planet, some big and some small, but every loss ought to remind us that we have a higher call. VBVM Columnists, Heather Jamison 2010-01-02T21:11:46+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/should_christians_celebrate_christmas_or_easter/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/should_christians_celebrate_christmas_or_easter/#When:16:22:00Z   I was reading your article where you addressed the issue of celebrating Halloween. I never celebrated Easter or Christmas growing up as I was taught at church that these holidays have pagan origins that have nothing to do with Christ. I am getting married this year and my fiance celebrates both holiday's and I don't want strife to enter our marriage. How should we approach this issue?   Let me begin by expanding a little on what I wrote in my previous article. In Col 2:16-17, Paul tells the believers in Colossae they should let no one be their "judge" concerning festivals. The word for judge in the Greek is krino, which in this context carries a negative connotation (i.e., to condemn). For comparison, see the same word used in Luke 6:36; John 3:17, 5:22, 7:51; and Acts 13:27. So, Paul instructs that we should not allow anyone to condemn us simply because we choose to observe or not observe a festival that honors the Lord in some way. Paul says such things are meaningless with respect to our righteousness. We cannot be made more righteous by avoiding festivals nor are we unrighteous because we join in them. Therefore, your choice to observe or forgo these celebrations has no bearing on your standing before God, because liberty in Christ permits us to act as we feel led when it comes to trivial matters like these. Paul explains that these festivals are meaningless because in verse 2:17 he calls these things "shadows", which means they are merely abstract representations of Christ intended to remind us of Him and His work. Once the substance appeared (i.e., Christ was revealed in teh flesh), the shadows God had appointed for men to observe no longer had any significance or meaning by themselves. This is why Christians are not obligated to observe the Jewish festivals in the Mosaic Law. In the case of Christmas, we know the holiday had pagan origins, yet today those origins have been set aside and the holiday marks Christ's birth. Knowing the intent of the holiday is now to honor Christ, we can choose to observe Christmas if we wish. Similarly, the Easter holiday marks His death and resurrection, so we can observe that holiday for its intended purpose. On the other hand, we are not required to do so and may freely ignore these events if we wish. In short, the holidays simply have no bearing on our obedient relationship with Christ. We are free to ignore Christmas and Easter or to celebrate them as we wish without fear of condemnation in either case. Again, a Christian has liberty to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in his or her own walk concerning meaningless issues, without regard for how other Christians choose to act under similar circumstances. Regarding your relationship with your future wife, perhaps a useful question to consider in prayer with her is why you would or would not chose to celebrate a given holiday? As I mentioned in the earlier article on Halloween, there could be good reasons to go either way. For example, by abstaining from the holidays you might believe you could improve your witness to certain unbelievers who have misunderstood the holiday. Another reason to refrain from celebrating the holidays might be to accommodate a friend or family member who is struggling with the celebration in some way. Since the holiday is meaningless with respect to your own righteousness, you might forgo the event out of love for that person. On the other hand, we could determine that observing the holiday (in an appropriate way) would be a useful witness tool for neighbors or it could it be useful for teaching our children about the Lord. So, here's my suggestion: take each year as they come. Just because you choose to celebrate Christmas one year doesn't mean you can't choose to ignore it the next year. The same goes for Easter or any other event you have reservations about. Christians are supposed to be led by the Spirit and not by rules written on stone in every aspect of our lives, so why feel the need to set a single, unchanging rule for your family? Instead, allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to guide you in this decision as with any other. Pray with your future wife over what the Lord wants you to do as a family with each holiday. Be open-minded. Test your assumptions to be sure your flesh is not the thing drawing you toward a holiday or repelling you from it. Finally, do what God tells you, for to do otherwise is sin (Romans 14:23)! In fact, I can't think of a better way to express your Christian witness than being willing to move freely between observing and abstaining from holidays on the basis of what's best for your family and most effective as a Christian witness. By doing so, you will be demonstrating the power and freedom that comes with liberty in Christ. Not only might your unbelieving friends experience the love of Christ, but even your Christian friends could learn something about what freedom in Christ is all about. Another thing to con- sider is your views about a given holiday could change over time, leading to a change in what you want to do. So, be Spirit-led, not rule-driven. As a postscript to this discussion, remember that the husband in a marriage has the responsibility, according to scripture, to provide spiritual leadership in the home. Therefore, if you and your fiance remain in disagreement over this issue come the next holiday, then it falls to you to decide the issue and then for the family to support your decision. However, the husband is to honor and cherish his wife, placing her needs above his own (Ephesians 5:25), so be sure to give greater consideration to her needs and desires than to your own. Bible Questions & Answers, Family Matters 2009-12-30T16:22:00+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_real_meaning_of_christmas/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_real_meaning_of_christmas/#When:22:09:37Z   Many Christians realize that Jesus was not born on December 25th, as many theologians place the likely time of Christ’s birth sometime between March and May. In fact, the early church didn't celebrate Jesus’ birthday, or at least there is no historical mention of it being observed as a special or holy day. So, how did December 25th become the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth? The leaders of the church in Rome, seeking to supplant the pagan holiday of Saturnalia (a multi-day, licentious celebration that culminated on December 25th), decided to designate the last day as the day of Jesus’ birth. The tradition was instituted in early fourth century after Constantine came to power. Despite the holiday's questionable roots, Christians today understand that we observe December 25th to celebrates Jesus’ birth, God becoming a man bringing redemption to all who believe. The question I want to address here, however, is whether Christians should lead their children to believe in Santa Claus as part of their celebration of Christmas. Santa has become an integral part of most Christmas traditions, and it seems harmless enough. The story of Santa Claus ties together many elements that have since become treasured parts of our celebration like gift-giving, Christmas trees, flying reindeer, elves making toys, the North Pole, etc. We all probably share many good memories of such traditions from our youth, so how can Santa be a bad thing? Well, remember Scripture’s warning in 2Cor 11:14-15: No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. While this verse refers to false apostles within the Church, it can also be understood as a model for the way Satan and his servants (i.e., the demons) will work in other situations as well. For example, injecting a mythical character who brings gifts to good children into a celebration focused on Christ's birth seems like the kind of tactic an "angel of light" might employ to remove our focus off Christ and create a competitor for our affections. This strategy is especially effective against young believers (or potential believers), at the very time they are so impressionable. Who needs a Christ Child...we have Santa! Secondly, what should we make of the way parents encourage their children to believe what is essentially a lie? Under any other circumstances, we would condemn Christian parents (or any parents) who intentionally lied to their children for many years about something important, all the while knowing their child must eventually learn the truth. Unfortunately, when it comes to Santa many have come to believe that such a deception is acceptable and even preferrable. Aren't we teaching our kids not to trust us? Instead, we should be teaching our children to love the truth, not to accept lying. Ephesians 4:17-25 puts it this way: So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.  But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. Perhaps the most important reason we should not lie to our children about Santa is that we lose an opportunity to help them stand apart from the world in their Christian witness. Instead, instruct them in Christ, and they can be a witness to their friends explaining to them the true meaning of Christmas. Rather than becoming like the world, the Lord says: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect - Romans 12:2  Likewise, 1Peter 1:14-16 says: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." Finally, I offer a personal reason for telling your kids the truth, based on my own experience. I still remember the day when I finally told my first daughter that Santa Claus wasn’t real. She was approaching the age when most kids already know the truth, so on theis day when she said something that caused me to think she had figured out that Santa wasn't real, I took the opportunity to confirm that there was no Santa Claus. Much to my surprise (and shock), she started crying. She hadn't known the truth after all, and I felt awful for crushing her belief so carelessly! I will remember this moment for the rest of my life, yet I continued to lie to my second daughter about Santa, still thinking it was the best thing to do. As a result, I endured a repeat of this emotional scene with her a few years later. These experiences occured prior to (or just after I began) my Christian walk, so my wife an I were making decisions based on what the world taught us was best. While I’m not saying that the Bible specifically prohibits us from including Santa Claus in our Christmas traditions, I do hope I’ve shown how telling the truth is a better way and a better witness, which is the way I believe Scripture guides us. I know that if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't lie to my kids about Santa. Just as our holy Father in heaven has graciously bestowed His truth on us, let us be parents worthy of our Christian calling. In so doing, we and our children can show that Christ is indeed what Christmas is all about. VBVM Columnists, Brian Smith 2009-12-28T22:09:37+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/welcome_to_4_miles/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/welcome_to_4_miles/#When:05:30:51Z   My family and I just returned from a trip "home" for the Holiday week. I can't read in the car, or do much of anything else for that matter because I get carsick. My husband likes to drive in silence most of the time, and my son usually has his nose in a book or a video game, so that leaves me to look out the window and read the road signs. Just outside Rolla, Missouri, I noticed a sign that looked like this: Rolla.........................48................................4 I know this stretch of road really well given that we have been traveling back and forth on it for about 15 years, but I've never noticed this sign before. What was the second line below the entry for Rolla supposed to mean? I had no idea what was ahead in 4 miles, so I began to wonder. Is it a town too small to be worth mentioning? Is it just an exit that would take you East instead of North? As I anxiously awaited the arrival of "4 miles," I worried that I might miss it, now having been appropriately informed, and in that moment I realized that this was something God wanted me to see. Have you ever been through one of those seasons of absolute blindness? As a family, we have been through three big ones (though life is full of little ones). The first was when my son was diagnosed with cancer. With very little information available pending staging and protocol, we had to make several major decisions that would profoundly affect the course of the coming year. The second was when we made our first major move which brought us to our current home. The third we just finished passing through. Just that morning my husband had turned down a wonderful job opportunity that would have required us to go blindly into the unknown. However, staying put meant remaining in an equally uncertain situation. We were absolutely unable to see the future of either situation, we only knew that a decision had to be made - and soon. That's why "4 miles" began to have real meaning to me. Through the stretch of road we traveled anticipating "4 miles," it dawned on me that there was no doubt that we would eventually get there. We were, after all, on the road that predetermined our arrival; we only had to follow it. And as far as that goes, we really had no choice. The road required that we steered to stay on course, took the bends and twists and hills with an even speed, and that we did not stop but kept moving ever forward on the course that was already laid out for us. We didn't choose the road (there's only one road home), we only followed it. We didn't determine its path around, over or through the obstacles that established its topography, we only watched the signs that warned us of what was ahead. Taking the next curve. Topping the next hill. Ever onward, ticking off one mile at a time to finally arrive at the unknown. Those seasons of blindness are just like the road to "4 miles." The destination is uncertain, but the arrival is not. The road ahead is laid out before us; we just have to take one step forward. We only have a road sign or two to warn us of the road conditions, but they're enough to help us navigate the curves. God has paved the way, He only asks us to follow, and as we do, the destination is revealed along the way. Welcome to "4 miles." It's not what you thought it would be, but then you never know until you get there!   VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-12-08T05:30:51+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/lipstick_on_a_pig/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/lipstick_on_a_pig/#When:04:42:04Z   Does it seem to you like the world is going to “hell in a hand basket”?  Does it seem, especially in the U.S., that our morals have eroded to the point that we almost have no shame?  More specifically, it seems there is an all-out assault on the sanctity of life (e.g., abortion, end of life assisted suicides), marriage (e.g., the push for gay marriage), and religious freedom (e.g., increasing attacks on the Christian faith). In an effort to create a unified push back against the secular culture, on November 20, 2009, a document entitled The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience was released. The declaration was signed by a number of prominent Christian leaders, names you will likely recognize. The group's goal was to join together in defense of the specific areas of life, marriage, and religious liberty. The paper presents strong, reasoned arguments against society’s current views of these issues, encourages Christians to speak out against the secular trend, and to not obey any laws that would cause us to go against what God has revealed about these issues.  In a nutshell, the declaration states: Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s. Almost all Christians would likely agree with this declaration. However, I have a problem with it. If you’ve read it, you might say, “Hey, what’s not to like here?”  It’s not the issues per se, it’s the fact that the declaration was jointly signed by Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Christians.  “Yeah, so what?" you may be wondering. Well, the problem is the signers joined together to fight the secular decline of our culture, and admirably stated their reasons for doing so. Therein lies my problem, and I hope yours too. The signers all identified themselves as Christians. In fact, they state: We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered, beginning in New York on September 28, 2009, to make the following declaration, which we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities. Furthermore, they go on to say: We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right — and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation — to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence. It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season. May God help us not to fail in that duty. The problem is the signers have said they are all Christians. While they acknowledge their differences, these differences are made to be simply “historic lines of ecclesial differences."  Yet, despite these implicitly differences, they say it is their duty to proclaim the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the matter: the Gospel. The Reformation was all about the Gospel. Through the reformers (i.e., Protestants, as they came to be known), God restored the Biblical gospel. The reformers and “Evangelical” [although this term does not necessarily mean what it used to] Christians proclaim a gospel that is different than that of the Catholic church. So, when the declaration says it’s their duty to proclaim the gospel, it begs the question which gospel? More importantly, should we as Christians, who proclaim the true gospel, join together as brothers and sisters in Christ with those who proclaim a different false gospel? As always, we need to look to God’s word for the answer. First however, it will be useful to know how Christians define the gospel compared to the Catholic definition. There has always been only one Gospel. While a discussion of how the gospel became corrupted is beyond my purpose here, suffice it to say that over time the Biblical gospel was changed. In general, the Catholic church (the only church in existence at the time, apart from the separation of the Orthodox church in 1054) turned the gospel from one of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, to one of grace through faith plus works. Indeed, the church itself became necessary for salvation as only the church could administer the sacraments that were also supposedly necessary for one to be saved. In Scripture, we see that God always keeps a remnant. Despite the Gospel being corrupted, God always had a remnant of true believers who denied the corrupted Gospel. There were plenty of people who believed the true Gospel, even before the issue came to a head in the early 1500s when Martin Luther kicked off the Reformation. The Reformation brought about another church split, one based primarily on the gospel. (As a side note, I truly believe there are many people in the Catholic church today who are Christians. By definition, however, these believers cannot adhere to the official teachings of the Catholic church, since official Catholic doctrine is contrary to the Gospel. This means believing Catholics are also "bad" Catholics, as they violate official Catholic teaching.  Historically, Catholics who come to know and follow the true Gospel have always been persecuted and even killed for their contrary views, which is how the Reformation started.) In the Council of Trent (which culminated in 1564 and was the official Catholic response to the Reformation), the Catholic church officially and “infallibly” denied the Biblical gospel. Some of the key canons from that council include the following: THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, SIXTH SESSION CANON XI.-If any one saith, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the grace, whereby we are justified, is only the favour of God; let him be anathema. CANON XII.-If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema. CANON XX.-If any one saith, that the man who is justified and how perfect soever, is not bound to observe the commandments of God and of the Church, but only to believe; as if indeed the Gospel were a bare and absolute promise of eternal life, without the condition of observing the commandments ; let him be anathema. CANON XXIV.-If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema. CANON XXVI.-If any one saith, that the just ought not, for their good works done in God, to expect and hope for an eternal recompense from God, through His mercy and the merit of Jesus Christ, if so be that they persevere to the end in well doing and in keeping the divine commandments; let him be anathema. CANON XXX.-If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema. CANON XXXII.-If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life,-if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema. Like Scripture, the Catholic church teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, and that one must become righteous in order to be saved. Unlike Scripture, the Catholic church teaches that a person must become inherently righteous through good works (works done by God’s grace); that is to say, the person becomes righteous in and of himself.  Stated another way, the righteousness a person has is truly his own righteousness rather than Christ's righteousness imputed to him. This is what they mean by salvation being conditional upon one’s obedience to the commandments (Canon XX), and that the justice received by faith is preserved and increased through good works (Canon XXIV), and that good works merit the increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life (Canon XXXII). There are other unbiblical things required for one to be saved according to the Catholic church, but these alone clearly teach another gospel. Now, this should bother every single Christian reading this. Why? Because the true Gospel says that we are counted righteous by the imputation of Jesus’ righteousness (see Romans 4 in particular). Since no one can ever perfectly obey all of God’s commandments, we need a sinless Savior Who can, and that is exactly what Jesus did for us. Just as we were made sinners by Adam’s transgression, we were made righteous by Jesus’ obedience. Romans 5:12 states it this way: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- And Romans 5:18-19: So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The difference between the Catholic gospel and the true, Biblical Gospel is strikingly clear. We are made righteous not by our obedience (whether by God’s grace or not). Rather, we are made righteous by Jesus’ obedience, and this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer through faith. Anything added to this Gospel is another gospel. Having compared the true, Biblical Gospel with the Catholic gospel, we can now look at what God’s word says about Christians joining with those who proclaim a different gospel, as the signers of the Manhattan Declaration did. Perhaps the clearest discussion of this is found in Galatians. In this epistle, Paul is writing to the Galatians in response to the Judaizers who have crept into the Galatian church and were preaching another gospel. Specifically, the Judaizers were saying that to be saved, one had to believe in Jesus by faith, but they also needed to become circumcised, and even obey the Law. In chapter 1:6-9, we read Paul’s response: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! What gospel did the Galatians receive? The same one Paul gave to the Romans, as quoted above. Read Galatians 3, which makes this even more clear. What of those who preach another gospel?  Paul says they are to be “accursed." This is about as serious as you can get, for accursed means to be divinely condemned. Therefore, because the Catholic church preaches another gospel, Paul would say they are accursed. Clearly, we are to have no part (as "brethren”) with those who preach another gospel. With respect to the “other” gospel the Galatians received (i.e., follow the Law,) in chapter 5:2-6 Paul says: Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Note that the Catholic church says the same thing, that salvation is conditional upon obedience to the commandments (Canon XX). Thus, following the Catholic gospel, according to Paul, will sever you from Christ, because that gospel teaches that one must be justified by works, by obeying the commandment to seek inherent righteousness.  Paul feels so strongly about the true Gospel that he makes one of the harshest criticisms in the Bible. In Galatians 5:12, speaking about those preaching circumcision, Paul says in 3:12: I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves. The Greek word for mutilate means to literally cut off, to castrate; think about a male dog being neutered. Ouch! Scripture further tells us in 2Corinthians 6:14-15: Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Therefore, while we can certainly agree on the issues in the Manhattan Declaration, in no way should we join with those who preach another gospel in such a declaration. It would have been much better for Christians to have signed this declaration separately and let the Catholics sign it on their own. They could have united on a common moral belief while keeping separate their theological views. Thankfully, a few leading Christians have come forward recently and denounced the joint signing of the Manhattan Declaration, including John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, and James White, to name a few. They essentially make the same point I am making here. I am thankful for these bold voices reminding Christians that the Gospel is what matters the most. We can’t sacrifice our theology for the sake of ecumenical morality. Theology does indeed matter. While the declaration may make a few good points, by itself it will be completely ineffective in changing unbelievers’ hearts. We can make public stands, perhaps even becoming salt and light to the world through our words and deeds, but it will never prompt faith apart from the Word fo God and power of the Spirit. In fact, if this approach produces any societal benefit through a change in behavior and thought among unbelievers, it amounts to nothing more than lipstick on a pig. By our efforts the world may look better on the outside, but on the inside there has been no real change. This is what Jesus meant when He called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs."  That’s why, as Christians, we need to preach the gospel – the true, Biblical gospel. Only the gospel has the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Only the true gospel will change hearts and minds, which will bring about a true transformation. So, what should we do as Christians to fight against the moral decline that the Manhattan Declaration so clearly points out?  We should do what Scripture says: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. - Matt 28:19-20 Making disciples begins with preaching the gospel, and it is by our preaching that God is pleased to bring faith to those He chooses (Romans 10:17). Once a person becomes a believer, the church is to help us grow in our sanctification.  How?  By preaching the word of God (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 4:1-5).  As we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are to live holy lives, and by our works God is glorified. Matthew 5:16 instructs us to: Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. And when some in the church behave like the world, we need to judge them and discipline them (Matthew 18:15-20). Scripture tells us to judge ourselves (i.e., as Christians in the fellowship of the church); let God will judge the world. By keeping ourselves pure, our light can shine before men and God will be glorified, and perhaps He will use us to change others...eternally! VBVM Columnists, Brian Smith 2009-12-08T04:42:04+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/lordship_salvation/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/lordship_salvation/#When:05:25:27Z Can a person have Christ as his Savior without submitting to Him as Lord? Some teach that both are required for someone to be truly saved. The answer to the question in a word is yes, but to be be clear, we need to define a few terms. According to the Bible, to “have Christ as Savior” means to be born again and saved by the grace of God. At the moment of salvation, a born-again Christian receives the Holy Spirit as a “down payment” on his inheritance (e.g., Rom 8:14-16; Gal 4:6; 2Cor 5:5; etc.). The Spirit comes to indwell the believer and remains permanently, making possible a life of obedience and glory to God. Secondly, to “submit to Him as Lord” is generally taken to mean demonstrating outward, visible evidence of faith through obedience to New Testament teaching. The fact that salvation will produce fruit in the life of the believer is also a Biblical truth, however some have taken this truth further by concluding that a person's failure to following Christ obediently as Lord should call into question any claim of salvation. Termed “lordship salvation," this viewpoint gained popular acceptance from John MacArthur’s widely-read book, The Gospel According to Jesus. So to rephrase the question, can a person believe the Gospel, enter into grace, and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit yet still remain disobedient to the Lord's commands, even to the point of showing no visible spiritual fruit as evidence of salvation? Again, the answer is Scripture is yes, this is possible. MacArthur and others have argued against such a possibility, often citing John 14:15-24 (among other passages) to support their view, but we believe lordship teaching is an overreaching (if well-intentioned) interpretaion of Scripture. While an exposition of John 14 and related passages is beyond the scope of this answer, suffice to say that any attempt to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between justification and sanctification is wrong, because it presumes too much concerning God’s eternal purposes and our own propensity to obey Christ's commands. First, how does any believer walk in obedience to the Lord in the first place? Scripture says that sanctification – like salvation – is a work of the Spirit in the heart of man (Titus 3:5; Eph 5:26). Though men are called to yield to the Spirit and obey His direction, without the empowering work of the Spirit, any attempt of obedience would be a work of the flesh and without hope of success. So, when we argue that every believer must prove that Jesus is Lod by demonstrating some measure of sanctification, we presume that God is prepared to make that work happen, at leat to such a degree that we will always detect it. This is a presumptuous view, to say the least. Is it be possible that God might determine to bring salvation to a person by His Spirit but yet also determine to bring sanctification to such a small degree or in a manner that we fail to notice His sanctifying work in this person's life? Of course, such a scenario is possible, and that possibility by itself contradicts lordship salvation teaching. It means we can't judge whether someone has truly trusted Jesus for salvation merely on the basis of how much progress they have made in sanctification according to some measure(s) we choose, because God may determine to produce little or no visible  sanctification in some cases (see Heb 6:1-3). Secondly, is it possible that a person could respond to Jesus as Lord (i.e., show Spiritual fruit) but to such a limited degree that the change is not visible outwardly? For example, could a person’s thoughts and beliefs become more Christ-like in some small way without others noticing? Again, it's possible, and this possibility disallows lordship teaching. When we teach that salvation must always involved accepting Jesus "as Lord," we add a condition to the Bible's teaching that salvation by faith alone. We cannot insist that salvation always means demonstrating outward Spiritual fruit, because we assume wrongly that we will always have enough discernment and opportunity to witness such progress in a person’s life. We cannot teach that salvation depends on any human work whatsoever – regardless of whether it occurs before or after faith – since salvation comes by God’s grace alone (Eph 2:8-9). Believing in Jesus as Savior means that one day - if not right away - we will know Him as Lord, but it doesn't require a work of obedience. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2009-12-03T05:25:27+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/church_discipline/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/church_discipline/#When:04:41:13Z What is the Biblical way to discipline a church member? The Biblical model for church discipline is classically found in Matthew 18:15-21, with New Testament commentary also found in 1Tim 5:20 and James 5:19-20. The principles expressed in these verses can be summarized as: 1. A person’s decision to engage in willful sinning is harmful to the individual and to the Body as a whole, and therefore the church is under obligation to undertake loving discipline. 2. Someone with firsthand knowledge of the sin should correct the sinning Christian privately, seeking to win him over. 3. Should that fail, the sinner should be approached by a plurality of church representatives who will affirm the judgment of the first. 4. If this fails, the church is informed of the matter for the purpose of enlisting the support of the entire congregation in turning the unrepentant Christian from the sin. This is a last resort. Finally, the individual is placed outside the fellowship of the congregation, as a matter of discipline to the individual and to protect the Body from the harmful influences of the person’s habitual sin. Admittedly, these principles can be difficult to apply (particularly steps 4 and 5), since public discussions of personal indiscretions may risk a claim of defamation of character, invasion of privacy or other legal challenges. In my experience, the first three steps outlined above are usually enough to settle the matter, since most people will either respond positively to private discipline or voluntarily leave the church in protest. Nevertheless, church leaders must be prepared for the necessity of engaging in discipline when required for the sake of the Body and the Name of Christ. Bible Questions & Answers, Church Practice 2009-12-03T04:41:13+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/pastor_accountability/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/pastor_accountability/#When:04:30:12Z How should a pastor ensure he is held accountable within the church? Can you suggest some good practices for a pastor to follow in seeking accountability? Ultimately, a pastor is accountable to the Lord (as are all believers), but earthly accountability is also essential to preserving godly leadership. A pastor (and all church leadership) should be held accountable by three principle means: a plurality of leadership, regular transparent communication and carefully established boundaries. As Paul directs Titus and Timothy, Church leadership should consist of a plurality of servant-leaders. The plurality serves three principle purposes: it diversifies gifting within leadership, it encourages members of the Body to seek opportunities to serve in leadership (i.e., 1Tim 3:1), and it militates against corruption and pride among those who assume authority. Shared responsibility for God’s people minimizes the potential for one man to inflate his pride and abuse his position or those under his charge. Secondly, a pastor must engage in regular, transparent communication with other leaders or trusted counselors. These conversations, conducted in an atmosphere of trust and agape love, give opportunity for a pastor to confess his sin to a brother and receive honest feedback concerning his behaviors and decisions. To be effective, these meetings cannot be optional or “as needed;” they must be regular opportunities that include an expectation that personal confession will take place in keeping with 1John 1:8. Finally, pastors must exercise self-discipline by establishing personal boundaries that protect against even the appearance of impropriety. For example, personal boundaries should include never meeting alone (or riding in a car, etc.) with a woman other than a wife; never obtaining unmonitored access to ministry funds, etc. While these stipulations cannot by themselves prevent sin, they do offer a degree of protection against personal temptation and false accusations. Bible Questions & Answers, Church Practice 2009-12-03T04:30:12+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_are_christians_viewed_negatively/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/why_are_christians_viewed_negatively/#When:20:18:08Z Why are Christians feared or hated? For example after Saul had his Damascus Road experience, he was doubted by other disciples until Barnabus spoke out on his behalf. Why would they fear a fellow Christian? In general, why are Christians perceived negatively by the world, and how we might change that perspective? First, Christians are often maligned for their faith, and the the Bible says that Christians will be hated by the world, because we are not "of the world." Jesus taught this most forcefully in John 15:18: If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the wrld,  because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. In other words, it is natural and expected that Christians should be mocked and rejected by the unbelieving world, just as Jesus Himself was. The Bible also teaches us that we should take some measure of comfort in that rejection, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for  in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. It's also important to remember that we should not seek the world's approval or try to become like the world so that they might accept us, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:13-16: You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. So all Christians should understand and accept that our new life in Christ has made us different from the rest of the world to such a degree that reconciliation isn't possible nor desireable. Unbelievers will alienate us and even hate us at times for Jesus' sake. The Bible says this is the natural and intended state of affairs, since our difference in the world is our witness. While we wish to be at peace with all men so far as it depends upon us (Romans 12:18), we also remember that we cannot seek the approval of men over the approval of God: Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. - Luke 6:26 Having said that, we can certainly make reasonable efforts to avoid conflict with others, and even to work and live closely with unbelievers. Paul himself did this routinely, and he taught that he was willing to become "all things to all men" in an effort to win some to Christ. Obviously, Paul didn't compromise His closely-held Christian beliefs or morals, but he was willing to forgo virtually everything else if it might increase his chances of winning men to Christ. Paul describes it this way in 1Cor 9:20-23: To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under  the Law; to those who are  without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. We should seek to reduce the potential conflict we may experience with unbelievers by approaching them without pretense or judgment. Christians should avoid showing pride or hautiness from our faith, and we can't carry a superior attitude among those who are without Christ, since their sins are no greater than our own and our faith is a gift, as Paul taught: Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;- Rom 11:20 Showing genuinely kindness and sincere interest in the the lives and circumstances of others will go a long way toward opening doors of conversation for the sake of Gospel. Nevertheless, a Christian must never forget that strife and rejection and hatred will come sooner or later, for the Lord has said it is inevitable. Finally, the example you offered of Saul is probably not relevant to your question, since the circumstance of Saul's arrival in Damascus were quite unique. The people who met him in Damascus were Christians, not unbelievers, and they were frightened and wary of Saul not because he was a Christian. On the contrary, they were wary because they suspected he wasn't a true Christian.  At the time of Saul's conversion and delivery into Damascus, the early church only knew Saul as the man who persecuted and murdered Christians, so when they learned that Saul was staying with Christians in their city, no one knew if they could trust him. Their reluctance to accept Saul was not because they didn't know how to accept Christians. Rather, they were Christians who didn't know whether to trust Saul, because they couldn't understand how God had changed Saul so suddenly. Only after time did everyone come to accept that Saul was truly now Paul, a man who knew and followed Jesus as Messiah. Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2009-12-02T20:18:08+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_scripture_meant_to_be_literal_or_figurative/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_scripture_meant_to_be_literal_or_figurative/#When:18:11:52Z   How do you know when to interpret Scripture literally vs. figuratively? VBVM takes a high view of Scripture. We believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, not based on the testimony of any man or even the church, but rather upon God Himself, Who has revealed Himself in the hearts of believers by His Spirit to be the Author of Scripture (1Cor 1:18).Scripture is, therefore, to be taught and received as the final authority in all matters of doctrine and Christian living. (See also 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 6:13; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 John 5:9 among others.)As we teach and apply God’s word, we follow the Golden Rule of interpretation, (formulated by Dr. David L. Cooper of the Biblical Research Society), which states: When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. In other words, take every word of Scripture at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental Biblical truths, indicate otherwise. In practical terms, this means we teach Scripture literally, emphasizing the historical and theological context, while recognizing Scripture’s occasional use of symbols, figures, parables and other non-literal pictures to illustrate Biblical truth. In all cases, we rely on the context of Scripture to determine when to take a literal or figurative view of the text. In many cases, the text of Scripture actually offers both a figurative and a literal meaning. For example, Genesis 1 teaches that God created all things in six literal days and rested on the seven day. While this chapter should be interpreted as a literal truth (when interpreted according to the Golden Rule), the text also uses the reality of a seven-day creation as a symbol to teach other truths. In other words, God chose to create the world in six days and rest on the seventh so that He could communicate something beyond the facts of the Creation. (For a deeper explanation of how this was so, please see our Genesis study.) So literal truth and symbols often work together in Scripture to teach us more than either by itself, so long as we don't make one the enemy of the other. Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2009-12-02T18:11:52+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/flashing_lights/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/flashing_lights/#When:05:19:08Z   At first the flashing lights didn’t mean anything to me. Red and blue lights trailed me as I made my way down Hampton Road on the way to the store last week. Then I suddenly realized if red and blue flashing lights were behind me, it meant one of two things: either I needed to pull over so that the police officer could pass, or I needed to pull over so that he could stop behind me because I’d been very, very bad. I quickly glanced down at the speedometer to confirm what I had assumed: I hadn’t been bad. Then I pulled over, thinking he would go around me, yet to my surprise he parked right behind me. I pulled off the road onto what seemed like a very large driveway and parked perpendicular to the road. I didn't’t realized I was stopped directly in front of a fire station, blocking the emergency vehicles should they need to leave at a moment's notice. I only knew there were flashing lights behind me, it was pitch dark outside and a booming voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Funny, but it had a distinctly southern accent. “You will need to pull up,” I heard the voice echo into the night air. “You need to pull up,” the voice spoke again. This was one of those times  I wished I had a better brain. First, I wasn’t sure why he stopped me, although I assumed a trained police officer knew what he was doing. So I let that confusion go quickly enough. Secondly, it often takes me two or three tries to understand things verbally, things most people seem to get it on the first try. I’m a “can-you-repeat-what-you-just-said-just-for-clarity-sake” kind of girl. But how do you ask such a thing to a booming voice in the night? I was going to have to figure this one out on my own. So I started thinking, "What does he mean that I need to 'pull up'?" Did he mean that I needed to “scoot forward?” Surely not, because there was only grass in front of me. I couldn’t imagine why he would want me off the pavement and on the grass. I was all of the way off the road already. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do? Granted, I was sitting on a driveway blocking the exit of the fire station, but there were just too many flashing lights for me to take in everything at once. So I sat still and waited for the booming voice to explain things a bit better. I remembered from a previous time I was stopped by an officer nearly twenty years ago that I’m not supposed to get out of the car. I was twenty-one at that time, and I assumed it would be helpful for me to get out and go see what the officer had wanted. Sometimes I can be helpful to a fault, I am learning. The officer looked as if he was reaching for his gun when I started walking toward his car. Then that same “booming voice” told me to get back into my car. I did. Remembering that experience, I decided to stay put this time, safely inside. Since I didn’t have a megaphone to respond, he was going to have to assume from my silence that I hadn’t a clue what he meant by “pull up.” Pull up where? The pavement ended right in front of me. "This is America, Heather," I reminded myself. "We don't drive on grass here. Surely this man is mistaken." Thankfully he made the assumption I didn't get what he had meant on this silent night, so he decided to be more clear in his next request. “You are parked in front of the exit for emergency vehicles," he said. "I need you to pull your vehicle forward so that they can leave if they need to. Please pull your car forward.” Ahhha. Now he was making sense. I turned my head and saw he was absolutely correct. I was blocking not only an ambulance  but also a firetruck – very bad citizenship on my part, I confess. I quickly put my car into drive and scooted forward onto the grass. Then I stopped. “Even more, please,” the booming voice said yet again. He continued. By now, he had learned that he needed to be specific with me. “We need to pull up far enough so that I am not blocking them either.” I kind of wished I had a megaphone at this point, too. The police officer sounded nice enough and I wanted to apologize for what was turning out to be an unusual stop, no doubt. Perhaps if we had met under differing circumstances, we may have become fast friends, but here we were, in the dark, him with his booming voice and me with my confusion. All I could do was pull up some more, which I did. He replied, “Thank you.” Was that a sigh I heard on the megaphone as well? I think so. A few moments later, the police officer appeared at my window, flashlight in hand. I had already dug out my drivers license and had it hanging out the window for him to grab enough. I didn't want to frustrate the poor man any further. “Guilty as charged,” I had assumed. Shame shrouded my heart. Whatever it was, I’m sure I had done it. After all, he was knowledgeable in all things law-abiding, and I was...well...not. I wasn’t going to argue with him. Just write my ticket, and be done with it. Yet he didn’t take my license. He simply said hello and asked me if I knew why he had pulled me over. “No, sir, I don’t,” I replied, honestly. He then went on to tell me that my right-rear brake light was out. A light? Okay, maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all, I took comfort in that thought. He next asked me if I wanted to get out of the car to see it for myself. I quickly told him that I didn’t, still having my flashback from twenty years ago reminded me not to startle the man in any way and have him go for his gun. I didn’t tell him why I didn’t want to get out of the car, though, or about my flashback. I think God is teaching me right now that I can be overly-communicative, to a fault, and unintentionally annoy people with information that they really didn’t care to know. I’m working on that at the moment. So I zipped it, cut it short and said, “No, I believe you. I’m very sorry about that, though. I’ll get it fixed.” The police officer smiled and then asked me for my license and insurance, which I promptly gave him. I was extremely proud that I had immediately known where both were. I didn’t tell him how proud I was, but I did point out to him on my insurance paper that it expired on February 8, 2010. I'm not sure why I said that to him, but I did. I think it’s that overly-communicative part of me coming out again. At any rate, I was probably just trying to show him that I was legal and following the rules. I happen to like rules, actually. I like following them. They make me feel safe. I also like police officers, for the most part, as well. Like the one who stopped me two months ago as I was driving home with Tayte just after a terrible Texas storm. Lights were out everywhere. No streetlights. No stoplights. The clouds covered the moon. All of this combined making difficult to see, and so I entirely missed a make-shift stop sign that had been erected in the middle of a 4-way intersection. I didn’t see it at all until I whizzed right past it. Turning to Tayte, I shrieked, “Oops!" because I had almost hit it. That’s when the red and blue lights started flashing. The police officer pulled me over and informed me that I had failed to stop at a 4-way. I quickly told him that I don’t see well at night, even more quickly regretting that overly-communicative part of me, as happens frequently. A propensity toward honesty is not always a gift. He then asked me if I had night-vision problems, which he should have asked me, based on my previous statement. I envisioned myself locked up in jail for the night for driving while night-blind, so I assured him that I have no vision problems at all. I see 20/20, and I told him that the statement I had rashly made was merely a reflection of an issue I have with “perception” in the dark. He seemed satisfied enough with that, and proceeded to tell me that he just wanted me to be on a better look-out next time when all of the lights are out because he wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to me. Awwww, that was kind. I told him that I most definitely would do just that, as I didn’t want anything bad to happen to me either. He then inquired about where I was going, and I told him I was headed home to check on my other kids as to how they had fared in the storm. He gave me his best wishes for them, a very polite “good-night ma'am,” and then sent me on my way. Two cops in two months. Both due to lights being out in the darkness. It made me think about the nature of a light and its value. Surely light is there to keep us safe in the dark. To help us to see what we cannot see. To illuminate our path and direction. I read recently in the book of 2Samuel, where it says, “For Thou art my lamp, O LORD, and the LORD illumines my darkness.” I've read verses like this before. In fact, the theme at our church right now for the children's ministry is "Light the Darkness." The verse supporting the theme is "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." It's a verse that I've heard, read and sung countless times. It's a theme that is not new to anyone who grew up in the church. Still for some reason when I saw this verse in 2Samuel the other day, it stood out to me. It somehow came off of the page of black letters and said, "Heather, pay attention. This has more importance than what you realize." It's not just some verse that we often throw into children's songs, or worship songs. It's not a nice concept, or a spiritual theory. Just like my brake-light, the street lights, and Jordan's roomlight, it plays a significant role in providing direction and safety. God says that He Himself is our Light. He is our Wisdom. Direction. Protection. Provider. Owner. Guide. I've never needed to know that truth more so than right now in my life. I'm coming up on two years since having been ripped from a country in Africa that I thought I would spend the rest of my life in. Yet I was torn out without so much as a forewarning or a good-bye. Without packing. Without closure. Without completing the projects I had begun. And I still cry, two years later, when I think about how things changed so quickly. Abruptly. Out of my control. And even out of my own understanding. Now I find myself trying to put the pieces together and relocating my faith. Not my faith in people, because people will always disappoint you. But my faith in a God Who would allow, even ordain, such a drastic change, without even asking my opinion, or consulting me about a possible time-line. I think I've tried to walk by my own light these past two years. I've stopped looking to Him as I should. I've let my brake-light go out and refused to fix it because I felt that I couldn't trust Him anymore. And yet, because of that, I often find myself walking in the darkness of my own wisdom. Which isn't very wise at all. I'm tired of walking by my own wisdom and I think it's time to confess it and move on. I may not always understand God and His ways. I may not always agree. My mind is finite and limited. I don't have all of the information that He has. So my trust should never be based on the way that I see things. Sometimes God allows pain, disappointment, loss and change because He knows that through them, we will become humbled and dependent on Him again. So, exhausted at trying to keep that which I could never keep and protect that which I have no means of protecting, I think I'm ready by God's grace. I'm ready to stop walking in the darkness of my own self-preservation, and to surrender to His wisdom once again. He's pulled me over enough times to warn me. I think I've even heard Him sigh. I need to pull up. It's time to pull up - to look up - and to trust Him as my light. Whatever that may mean. Even if it means more loss and surprise. He is God. I am not. He knows more than I ever will, and He has my best interest at heart, no matter how confusing things may seem in the midst of red and blue flashing lights. VBVM Columnists, Heather Jamison 2009-12-01T05:19:08+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/behind_glass_doors/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/behind_glass_doors/#When:04:32:47Z   I happen to love Phil. Phil is one of those guys who is easy to love. Phil is a retired veteran police officer from the Dallas police department, and over his lifetime, I’m sure he has seen it all. When you speak with him, his eyes resonate with decades of strength, wisdom and power. If I ever needed somebody on my side in a dark alley at night, I’d want Phil. His frame towers well over 6 foot, complete with sturdy shoulders and a stare alone that will keep you in line. Phil is the Director of Security at our several-thousand member church, and because of my position at the church, I run into him from time to time. For example, right now I’m working on a project to post surveillance notices and “no-guns allowed” warnings in both English and Spanish around the campus. Phil is also working on the project. Fun stuff. Okay, maybe it’s not so fun in and of itself, but somehow – if Phil is involved – you won’t leave the meeting without a smile. I think it’s because of his heart for God coupled with a genuine joy in life. Despite all that he has seen throughout years of service apprehending law breakers, Phil still reflects a gentle soul that is so evident when he talks about God. I admire that. If I were allowed to covet, I would covet it, too. What makes it stand out so much, I think, is that Phil's nature around us is such a contrast to the typical austere demeanor he carries when on duty. A contrast of someone who is truly so strong yet who also reflects a depth of joy that many never reveal. I saw Phil at work a few days ago, and he was inadvertently blocking my way. So I did what I had to do. I straightened all of my 5’5", 125 lb. frame and said, “Phil, you better get out of my way, or I’m going to have to take you down!” Like a tourist taunting a Yeomen of the Guard in front of Westminster Abbey, I’m always trying to get him to break-face. Usually, like the tourist though, to no avail. Phil just smiled slightly, ignored my threat entirely, and started in on what he had come to see our Communications team about. I have a feeling he actually was really scared I could take him down, but he had learned after years on the force how not to reveal that sort of fear. Okay, perhaps I’m thinking too highly of my ability to intimidate, and he wasn’t scared at all. That’s probably more likely. At any rate, he may even think I’m a dork. It is possible. I do exhibit dork-like tendencies. Like the time last Wednesday night, when I stopped by the Youth Center to look at some artwork that had been put up. Church was over and most people were leaving, but I wanted to go inside and have a look around. The glass doors in front of me were closed, but there was hope. I saw Phil through them talking with someone, and I instantly knew that I would get in. I confidently walked up to the doors with a big smile on my face and knocked on both of them with both hands. “Let me in,” I mouthed, pleading. Phil just smiled, in his very dignified, I-carry-a-weapon-and-am-watching-all-things-at-once-so-please-don’t-bother-me sort of smile. I assumed that he would at least walk over and open the door. It wasn’t far from him, but he didn’t. So, I tried to open it again myself thinking maybe I didn’t pull hard enough the first time. But it wouldn’t open. It was locked. So there I stood, locked outside, and Phil standing there continuing to talk to whomever it was he was talking. That’s not the Phil I loved. Not at all. I even started to lose my smile a bit, saddened. But he was also pointing – I did notice that. I’m not sure why he was pointing, but he kept on doing it. It seemed odd. So I knocked again. Even louder. This time, though, Phil stopped smiling altogether and pointed all the more. Was Phil pointing for me, I wondered? He was pointing to other side of the room, which was fine because I wanted to go to that side of the room, but I couldn’t get there, because I was standing on this side of a locked door! Couldn't he see that? I was starting to feel frustrated. Then it dawned me. Maybe he was pointing for me, after all. So I took a few steps back, and I looked in the direction Phil was pointing. It was then I noticed another double-door standing wide open just to my left. My face quickly turned a shade of pink, as I walked over to the open door and made my way in. I’m not sure how I missed those open doors to begin with. They were only about ten feet away from me, but I missed them entirely as I stood there knocking with both hands on the locked door in front of me. When I finally did get in, Phil broke his normal on-duty, serious disposition and out came a huge grin and a laugh, which I’ll admit made me happy again. Okay, maybe he’s not so intimidated by me, sure – but I did make him laugh. Mission accomplished. My door dilemma reminded me, though, of how easy it is at times to get stranded on our way. We see what we want and where we want to go, but then we lock in on the only way we know to get there. Maybe it’s a dream we have, a goal or a desire God has placed in our soul, but our vision is so often limited to what's right in front of us – to what we know, see or understand. So, we knock and pound continually on locked doors, getting nowhere at all, yet all the while so close to our destination. Still, God in His patient wisdom quietly stands on the other side pointing, gently pointing us in the way of His truth, through a door that has already been opened if we would just see it so as to walk through it. But no, God, we complain while still knocking. Still pounding. Growing sad inside. "Open the door I want open, won't You? Open my door," we whine. Patiently, God knows that He has a perfect way. From His perspective, He can see it clearly. From ours we can’t see past our own face, but if we'll simply look beyond ourselves and seek His face instead of our own, we’ll see Him pointing us in the direction that He knows we ought to go. The answer doesn’t always make sense. Sometimes we even have to back up a bit to realize where He’s asking us to go, but if we will obey, we will find His path has already been opened. He’s just waiting for us to walk through. Once we do go, we’ll find our wise and strong God right there ready to meet us with a huge grin. His gentle smile will be enough to wash away our frustrations and fill us with His joy once again. Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face continually. - 1 Chronicles 16:11 VBVM Columnists, Heather Jamison 2009-12-01T04:32:47+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/do_christians_need_to_continue_asking_for_forgiveness/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/do_christians_need_to_continue_asking_for_forgiveness/#When:18:57:59Z   If we accept Christ into our lives, our sins are forgiven (past, present and future). Therefore, why are we told to pray for forgiveness for our sins. If a believer asks God to forgive his sins, isn't that a lack of faith in God's promises, since you are asking Him for something He has already given you? In one sense, your statement is correct. The Bible teaches that a person need not ask for saving forgiveness more than once.  In other words, once we have appealed to God for mercy, trusting upon His Son to save us from the penalty of sin, then we are saved and will never bear the punishment for our sins.  As Paul summarizes in Rom. 10:9:  "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved..."  Nothing more is required. On the other hand, a Christian is also called by Scripture to maintain a repentant heart, routinely acknowledging sin and seeking God's grace and mercy in the midst of his daily mistakes. These activities are not done with the intent to secure or maintain salvation, yet they are expected nonetheless. You may remember from past VBVM teaching that the Bible makes a distinction between repentance with a big "R" and repentance with a little "r."  Repentance with a big "R" refers to the repentance that leads to salvation. This is the repentance that takes place in conjunction with a saving acknowledgement of Jesus. This is a unique kind of repentance that the Holy Spirit alone can produce in the heart of an unbeliever leading to belief in the Gospel, as Paul states: For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. - 2Cor 7:10 A second kind of repentance can be said to begin with a little "r," because it is the form of regret or sorrow that occurs daily in the life of every believer. This secondary form of repentance (also the work of the Holy Spirit) is part of God's sanctifying process to convict believers of sin and produce in us a more Christ-like life. This form of repentance brings believers face-to-face with our sin so we will turn from our sins and make an appeal to God for mercy and forgiveness. This second kind of repentance isn't an appeal for saving forgiveness - we already have that by faith. Rather, it is an appeal for God to forgive us from the consequences of our sin. Said another way, we are appealing to God's mercy so that He would not bring upon us the consequences of our mistakes. Much like a son appeals to his father for mercy after he has made a mistake, we ask the Father to spare us as well. There are a couple of good examples (among many) in Scripture to illustrate this principle of repentance for the believer. First, consider Jesus' instructions to the church of Ephesus in Revelation: Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and  repent and  do the  deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your  lampstand out of its place — unless you repent. Rev 2:5 Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they must repent of their poor witness (i.e., leaving their first love), or else He will end the church's very existence. Here we see a connection between a believers' sin and God visiting the consequences of their sin upon them. If the church didn't repent of their sin, Jesus would visit the consequences of their sin upon the church.  Likewise, if believers live in unrepentant sin, they will see the consequences of their sin visited upon them as discipline from the Lord.  As the writer to Hebrews 12:7-11 says plainly: It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had  earthly fathers to discipline us, and we  respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to  the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the  peaceful fruit of righteousness. A second example is found in the life of David in 2Sam 12:13-16: Then David said to Nathan, “ I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has   taken away your sin; you shall not die. “However, because by this deed you have  given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” So Nathan went to his house. ¶ Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s  widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David  fasted and went and  lay all night on the ground. In 2Sam 12, David is praying and fasting for the Lord to spare his son, who is near death. David knows that his son's condition was brought upon him by the Lord as punishment against David for his unrepentant sin with Bathsheba. David prays for the Lord to show mercy instead. The Scripture says plainly that David's sin has already been taken away by his faith, so salvation was not in question. Nonetheless, David feels the need to pray for forgiveness, because he wishes to save his son. The Lord bring discipline against David because of his sin, and even knowing his has been forgiven, David still prays for mercy for his son's sake. Obviously, the Lord rejected David's plea and takes the son anyway, but this is an excellent example of why a believer may pray in repentance even though salvation has removed the penalty of sin: we still may bear the consequences of our sin in this life. Clearly, the Lord expects believers to pray for forgiveness even after we are saved, but we do it for a different reason than the one we had before faith. Before faith, we prayed with a repentant heart longing for forgiveness leading to eternal life. Now having been saved, we still pray for forgiveness from the consequences of our sin.       Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2009-11-27T18:57:59+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/neck_strain/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/neck_strain/#When:04:20:41Z   I live in a semi-rural area. What I mean by that is that my house is built in a subdivision, which was formerly a cow pasture and is still surrounded by farm land that has not been sold off piece by piece to encroaching developers. The whole county is made up of this patchwork of growth and resistance. It makes for a weird amalgam of city and country which appeals to my somewhat schizophrenic nature. On the way home from my errands today I drove by a particularly idyllic pasture which sits at the foot of the local spillway. As the pasture fence and the road merged and ran side by side for a bit, I noticed one big black cow bent down on its forelegs, rear end in the air, with its head stuck sideways through the barbed-wire fence trying vainly to reach a tiny patch of green grass just beyond its grasp. It was awkward and embarrassing. “Now isn’t that just like me," I thought. See, I had just come from errands, but also from a new thrift store that had opened nearby, where I bought four sweaters that I do not need. It doesn’t matter that I paid less than $10 total for all four (I know, right?), I don’t need them. And as I compared myself to the cow (not for the first time) I realized that the problem is really even bigger than buying sweaters that I don’t need. It extends to every area of my life. I am not content. I am not content with what I have or who I am. I am not content with my current level of success or visibility. I am not content to serve in one particular area but seem to flit about and never land. I am not content with my number of friends or my social status, the car I drive, my hair, my purse, my shoes, my nose…I am not content. The writer of Hebrews says: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5 NIV) Begging the Lord’s pardon, I would add that we should keep our lives free of the love of anything which interferes with being content in the Lord. He will never leave us nor forsake us, and so we should, and can, be content with His presence and His provision. In fact, the whole scenario calls to mind another story where two people living in a beautiful garden with everything they could ever want or need, including the presence of the Lord Himself, decided they wanted just a little bit more. They took from the tree what was not given to them. Everything but that fruit had been given freely, but it was that fruit they wanted. They were not content with anything less than all they could see. Now here is where I’m tempted to speak for the whole human race, but must be content (pun intended) to speak for myself alone. I am constantly reaching for more, bigger, better, faster, newer, cooler, and adjective on end, just something…else. Constantly straining for, reaching for, and taking what has not been given. I’m in debt to the bank and in debt to the devil because I’ve reached beyond the Lord’s provision. Look at who the "giver" is in the verse below: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. (Acts 17:24-25) God made the world and everything in it. It is all His to give, or not. Did you notice what it said He gives “life and breath and everything else?" I think that might include four new sweaters…when I need them. That’s the rub and the struggle that Jesus speaks to in this verse: So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matthew 6:31-33) Why do I run after what I do not need, when I have a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and everything else? It is only when I lose sight of the abundance of the kingdom and the joys set before me that I become discontent and begin to act like a cow with its rear end on display, head in the barbed wire fence, reaching for what is always just beyond my grasp when there is a field of abundance beneath me! I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  Philippians 4:12 VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-11-16T04:20:41+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/give_god_a_chance/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/give_god_a_chance/#When:04:06:16Z   My wife and I recently drove to Florida to visit her mother, and while getting gasoline in Mississippi, a billboard caught my eye: Surely, our brothers and sisters at this church have the right intentions with this billboard. All Christians want others to become believers. Scripture even calls us to “beg” others to come to Christ, as we read in 2Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” There are a couple of important words in 2Corinthians 5:20 that we should consider. The word appeal means to “call to one’s side," as in Christians calling unbelievers to become believers. It also means to “exhort, admonish," as in warning others. The word beg means “desire, long for." So, as Christians, we are to warn others to come to Christ and be reconciled to God, as that should be our desire. Surely those who posted this billboard desire that others be saved, but does this mean that God simply wants others to “give Him a chance?" Think about what this implies. Just give God a chance; you may not like Him, but, hey, you just might! As though God were like crawdads (we also went to Louisiana, so crawdads came to mind). How will you know if you like it if you don’t try it? Is this what God’s word says? The very notion that we simply ask someone to give God a chance is un-Biblical. Look again at the verse above. Paul commands that we be “reconciled to God;" it’s not an option. Likewise, we read in Acts 17:30-31: Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. While Paul here is “pleading” with the pagans at Mars Hill, he is not asking them to simply “try out” this other god they have not yet tried. No, he is telling them God has declared that all should repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Again, unlike crawdads, God is not something you should try because you may like it. We are commanded to be reconciled to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. To not repent and believe means you will not be reconciled to God, which means you will go to hell for all eternity. Too often today, I find that we have watered down God’s word trying to soften its impact. It seems we do this in order to not offend others. The political correctness of our day appears to have invaded the church and its salvation message. We do not find this in Scripture, however. Indeed, our Lord tells us in His word that He and His gospel are an offense, as in 1Peter 2: For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE;" for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. Therefore, rather than watering down God’s word by asking people to give God a chance, let’s give unbelievers the pure, unadulterated truth, that they must repent and believe! This is what the apostles did, and it is what we should do as well. Does this mean we should scream and yell at people? Should we hit them over the head with our Bible (e.g., “You think that hurts? Wait until you get to hell!”...not a recommended tactic!)? No, Scripture tells us in 1Peter 3:14-16: But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. Note that while we are to give the gospel with “gentleness and respect," we are to give the truth. In addition, because we give the truth we are told we may suffer, but we are not to fear what others may do to us, knowing that we serve Christ. Even if we are killed for the sake of the gospel, we know that our eternity is with Christ in heaven. Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us be bold in sharing our faith, preaching the truth in love. It is better for others to know that salvation is by faith in Christ alone, and to not believe means eternity in hell. The pure truth is better than a watered down message. Although some will surely take offense at the gospel, some will not be offended. As our Lord Jesus said, “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” (Luke 7:23)  Let’s share the blessing with which we have been blessed. VBVM Columnists, Brian Smith 2009-11-16T04:06:16+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/a_god_who_redeems_the_time/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/a_god_who_redeems_the_time/#When:01:36:46Z   I’ll admit it. I’m not going to pretend. The mirror is no longer my friend. What once offered itself as a reminder of youth - of promise and potential - has turned into a daunting reflection of bygone years, struggles and service. I looked at it again this morning...and cringed. Welcome to being a woman.The lines may appear light and small underneath a pound, or two – or ten, of make-up (Am I right, ladies? We DO try), but I still see them. Each one is carved out for its own reason: its own worry, each child’s illness that was nursed, every bag of groceries chosen and carried, every diaper changed, every relationship choice of your child considered with concern, each college application sent in - every desire of the heart put on hold, yet once again, for the more pressing need of the moment. Time flies amidst the strains, and-  don’t misunderstand me - also the joys, of motherhood and of being a wife. Literally. It flies. It does. I saw it. All 53.78 seconds...last night. Her name is Dara. Her daughter’s name is Tessa. I mention that, because no woman is known only as herself after having given birth. After Dara announced her participation in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials for the 100-meter freestyle, NBC did a short video special on her and Tessa, because Dara's Olympic bid was unique. It wasn’t Dara’s first attempt to make the Olympic team. No, she’s gone to the trials four times before and made it to the Olympics every time. Her wall – or closet or fireplace mantel - already hold colorful bouquets of medals. She’s been a steady figure in women’s swimming for years. What made her most recent attempt so special was the fact Dara was considered by most to be "past her time." At 41 years old, Dara’s bare feet stepped one after the other onto the blocks as the oldest swimmer ever to attempt an Olympic bid. Her publicly stated goal was simply to make the team. In the 100-meter freestyle, swimmers need finish roughly in the top 6 places of the final race in order to qualfy, securing them a spot on the relay team and a plane ticket to Beijing. Out of the 8 swimmers attempting to qualify, Dara had a decent chance of making her goal.But we - we women who watched her - hoped for much, much more. Who wanted to see Dara lumber into the finish line in fifth place or even sixth just to get on the team? I didn’t. No, I locked my eyes on Dara with hope she would beat the entire field of swimmers – every last, youthful one of them.Her chances weren’t good to do so, and I understood that. The 100-meter freestyle wasn’t Dara’s specialty, by her own admission. It’s a lengthier sprint than the 50-meter, which is her passion, and in that extended lap of the 100-meters, there is more time for the effects of aging to show themselves by slowing her.But this is the Olympics (or at least the Olympic trials), and as we all know from past experiences, that fact changes things.So I nestled into my couch to watch the race hopefully, with my husband nearby, mentioning to him as he walked in the room that one of the swimmers in this final is over forty years old. He nodded, his interest piqued. She had already made it down the first lap in good speed, but then the announcers began focusing on the younger swimmers at that time – the girls in their early 20’s who had a better chance at finishing the race strong. Yet my eyes never left lane five: the lane where Dara Torres was swimming with all of her might."Swim, Dara, swim," my heart pled as my hands began to clap for her. I saw my husband lean forward as I began to cheer her all the more.“She’s fading,” he said, concerned.“Oh no, she’s not,” I replied, determined to will her to win, even though she had dropped back a bit. But then Dara remained steady down the backstretch, at which point something invisible seemed to propel her forward as she picked up speed. She began to gain on the other swimmers, some young enough to be her own biological children. She flew with all she had toward the finish and stretched out with all the strength within her to reach the wall...FIRST.The crowd roared. Tessa cheered. The announcers didn’t quite know what to say. Dara herself looked a bit surprised and she said later that age had dulled her eyesight so much that it took her some time to even focus on the scoreboard to see that she had won. I sat there, stunned, clapping, tears threatening to come. She did it. She did it! Forty-one year old Dara Torres did it! Not only did she reach her goal of making her fifth Olympic team, but she did it leaving the rest of the swimmers in the wake of her amazing dream. After having already competed in two rounds of preliminary swims the day before, she later told reporters that she felt “physically whipped” prior to this final. She didn’t think she could win on her body alone, so she made the focus of her strength come from her “heart and soul.” Take that you mirror, mirror on my wall. Take that, I say, to every wrinkle taunting me of the aging call, because there is a bit of Dara tucked away in every one of us all. And when our time has been given to others in such a way that God has ordained, and we wake up years later wondering if we might ever have the chance again to follow our own dreams, I know I’ll remember lane five...and Dara. Not only that, I’ll remember verse five as well. And David...specifically, the fifth verse in a Psalm written about a God Who knows no limits of time. David writes: Psa. 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,     And all that is within me, bless His holy name.Psa. 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,     And forget none of His benefits;Psa. 103:3 Who pardons all your iniquities,     Who heals all your diseases;Psa. 103:4 Who redeems your life from the pit,     Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;Psa. 103:5 Who satisfies your years with good things,     So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. Heart and soul. Renewed through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. We may never compete in the Olympics, but this truth can propel us through the race of our life. VBVM Columnists, Heather Jamison 2009-10-29T01:36:46+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/heads_out_tongues_in_the_wind/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/heads_out_tongues_in_the_wind/#When:01:22:30Z   I have a friend of a friend whose wife is in a struggle between life and death. I’ve never met this young man or his wife, but have taken an instant liking to them both because of their faith stories, our common bond in the Spirit, and in particular, his sense of humor.  He’s a witty young man who has gifted to me a wonderful metaphor.  In a recent email he wrote, “I've mentioned to a few of you that I feel like a dog in a car. I don't know if we're going to the park or to the vet, but I know God's driving, so it's going to be OK. Right now, it just feels more and more like we are heading to the vet.” Isn’t that the best?! He’s caught between uncertainty and a sense of anticipation; it's enough to make him pace between windows in the back seat! Aren’t we all there with him? I know if you stop to picture this you can imagine yourself there too. It’s the story of our faith! One day the Master grabbed the leash and headed for the driveway. Our hopes rose! We grabbed our ball and jumped in the backseat. With our nose pressed against the glass as it slowly descended, we waited for that first tantalizing scent carried by the breeze. Then it occurred to us! Maybe we aren’t going to the park! Maybe…we’re…going to…the VET! But…maybe not! Maybe we’re going to the park. And the ensuing inner struggle begins. We know that the park is in our future, eventually, but maybe it comes only on the other side of the Vet. It makes me think of this exchange between Peter and our Lord: “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."  Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" - John 21:18-19 Did you catch that last part? Follow me - with an exclamation point! Can’t you just see it? He’s already been to the Vet, and He knows we’re headed there too. But now He’s got His ball and He’s at a dead run, ears back, leash trailing behind, eyes squinted in bliss. The park is worth it! “Follow Me!” Lord, give us strength each day to endure the Vets of life, to always be looking forward to the joy that is before us and to follow you to the park! Until then we’ll just hang our heads out the window, put our noses in the air and let the breeze take our tongues! Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:1-3 In memory of Tacha Palmgren who went to the park on October 27, 2009, after having been at the Vet for a very long time. And for Jeff, who is still there. Take heart…the park is just around the bend! VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-10-29T01:22:30+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_invisible_kingdom/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_invisible_kingdom/#When:00:26:55Z   I enjoy scouring the internet looking for interesting news and opinion articles. I particularly enjoy reading news articles that reflect the reality of Scripture, even if the authors themselves are oblivious to the connection. For example, I recently read an article on the Fox News website. The article reported a dramatic decrease in the percentage of American men and women professing to be Christians. In 2009, only 75% of the adult population describes themselves as Christians, which is the lowest point ever recorded (down 12% since 1990). The drop coincides with a slide in the number of Americans who attend church regularly, and it mirrors membership declines already experienced in most mainline Christian denominations. Curiously, the decrease in professing Christians within the American population was not met with a corresponding rise in those professing belief in other world religions – or even with a rise in atheism. Instead, the "missing" Christians continue to profess a belief in God, yet they no longer view themselves as members of any organized religious tradition. I'm sure we could posit several theories to explain this trend, including the possibility that many Christians are simply abandoning traditional denominational churches in favor of home churches or other nontraditional means of worship (some might say returning to traditional means of worship, but I digress). Nevertheless, I don't think the decline is entirely explained by disaffected Christians hiding in their homes. Instead, we're witnessing a basic Biblical truth at work: not all who claim to follow Christ are Christians. In my teaching I often take opportunity to point out the important distinction Scripture makes between the "visible" Church and the "invisible" Church. The New Testament uses the term "church" (Gr.: ekklesia, "of the invited") to describe the Body of Christ, the true, born-again followers of Jesus. All who believe the Gospel are part of this group. Paul takes the definition of a Christian one step further in Romans 8:14 by declaring that the true Christian is anyone who is indwelt by the Spirit of God: Rom. 8:14: For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Therefore, we refer to all true believers within the Body of Christ as the invisible Church, because we can't see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The process of becoming "born again" is one of Spirit (John 3:6-8), consequently there is no universal, visible sign to distinguish the true Christian from the rest of humanity. We have approximate measures of faith, but they aren't sufficient to settle the issue. For example, water baptism was given by Jesus to the Church as our outward sign of faith, but little prevents unbelievers from making a false profession and entering the water, so baptism can't be considered an absolute proof of faith. Likewise, the the Bible teaches we should expect to see some evidence of salvation as we walk in faith (called the fruit of the Spirit by Paul in Gal 5:22), but these outward conequences of faith aren't equally apparent among all Christians. Given the limits of human discernment, we simply can't use spirtual fruit as a reliable measure to distinguish believer from nonbeliever. So on any given Sunday, many church buildings are host to a mixture of true believers and would-be pretenders masquerading as true Christians, who do not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These unbelievers attend church for the same reason they attend other functions like the Rotary Club: church is simply another group association they find useful in some way. Together, we call this union of believer and unbeliever the "visible" Church, because we can "see" these two groups congregate together in the name of Christ. Though we use the term "church," we don't mean that all who enter the building are believers; no more than everything that enters into a garage is a car. The visible Church includes believers and at least a few unbelievers. When unbelievers attach themselves to a Christian congregation and participate in church functions, we naturally assume they are Christian, but during a time of testing or temptation, these counterfeits can fall away. The unbeliever will turn his back on his Christian association, because there is no true spiritual bond holding them to Christ. As they depart, they betray their true nature and reveal themselves to be lost. In His parable of the Sower and the Seed found in Luke 8, Jesus taught the inevitability of false converts joining to the Church, who would later fall away under times of stress. Similarly, the writer to the Hebrews defines truth Christian faith as the kind of faith that perseveres until the end: Heb. 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end... Seeing the news through Biblical eyes As the article reported, fewer American's profess to be Christian today than in the past, but the article makes no distinction between true believers and nominal Christians (Christians in name only, i.e., unbelievers). More importantly, the article claimed that 76% of American adults are yet still Christians. Is it reasonable to assume that that fully three-quarters of Americans today are truly Christians? I find this highly unlikely. This statistic refers (at best) to the visible Church, which includes both believers and unbelievers. So, as this number declines, which group is actually leaving the Church: believers or unbelievers? In reality, the number of true Christians in America has never been at risk. Regardless of whether the number of true believers rises or falls, the Lord remains in control of His Church, and He will manage it as He wishes. On the other hand, the number of false believers congregating within the visible Church is declining...just as Scripture predicted. We can find a clear explanation of this trend in Scripture. Paul teaches in his second letter to Thesselonica that the Lord's return must be preceeded by two notable events: 2Th. 2:1  Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him2Th. 2:2  that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.2Th. 2:3  Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.2Th. 2:4  who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. The first event that must occur prior to the Lord's return is the "apostasy," Paul says in verse 3. The word apostasy means a forsaking or defecting from something previously held. For example, when a politician leaves a political party and joins another party, he has become an apostate to his original political party. Similarly, if a college football fan decides to begin cheering for the visiting team, the fan has committed apostasy to his home team. The Apostle Paul says that our Lord's return comes only after an apostasy of some kind, but what is this apostasy? The apostasy Paul describes is a falling away that takes place within the Church itself. Paul also makes mention of this coming apostasy in 1Timothy 4:1: 1Tim. 4:1  But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons... I believe this falling away is already underway within the Church, and not only in the U.S. Church. Western Europe has already become a continent of empty churches, the result of Europeans drifting away to secularlism and other "doctrines of demons." How can we be sure that true believers aren't the ones falling away? First, a true believer may "fall away" from certain Christian behaviors. He may cease attending church or fall back into patterns of sin, but this isn't the kind of "falling away" that Paul is describing. He describes a falling away that results in people worshipping doctrines of demons instead of Christ. We know from Scripture that a true child of God (i.e., a member of the invisible Church) can never fall away from a relationship with Christ, because Christ's Spirit dwells within the believer and Christ will never leave us nor foresake us (Heb 13:5). Therefore, the apostasy Paul describes must refer to the defection of the unbelievers from among the visible Church. As the Fox News story describes, we are witnessing the departure of many unbelievers from within the Church, who are leaving to pursue other beliefs or no belief at all. This departure (i.e., the apostasy) will inevitably lead to a smaller visible Church, but it will also yield a higher concentration of true believers. The Apostle John described a similar experience in his day in 1John 2: 1John 2:18  Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.1John 2:19  They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 1John 2:20  But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. John describes the departure of men who "did not really belong to us." These apostates were men who pretended to be Christians for a time, but at some later point departed, and when they left, they demonstrated they were not true believers. This is why John says that his readers were unlike these men in that they had the anointing of the Holy Spirit and knew the truth. Knowing the Scriptures indepth allows us to read articles like the one on Fox News with a different appreciation. While some Christians may be discouraged at the news of a shrinking Church, we can find comfort in recognizing our Lord's return is that much closer. Likewise, we need not lament the departure of those who never belonged to Christ in the first place, though we obviously hope they may one day know the Lord truly. As someone once said: "Everyday I read the newspaper and the Bible, because I want to know what both sides are up to!"       VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2009-10-10T00:26:55+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/may_a_christian_participate_in_martial_arts/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/may_a_christian_participate_in_martial_arts/#When:04:47:42Z   Is it allowable for a born-again Christian to participate in martial arts? - R.K. The short answer is yes, a Christian may participate in martial arts, though the issue you raise is broader than just the topic of martial arts. The Christian is free under the Law of the Spirit in Christ to pursue many things so long as those pursuits are loving toward God and our neighbors, including the principle that we are not a stumbling block to our brothers and sisters (i.e., a cause to sin to other believers). By the same token, you could also ask about other issues including: Can I ride with a group of bikers on a Harley?Can I practice meditation?Can I visit a bar? Etc... Each of these actions could be the basis for sin, or they could be consistent with holy living. For example, riding a Harley could be an act of rebellion in the heart of a believer, or it could be a recreational activity with the potential to witness  to unbelievers within that community. Meditating could be practicing a form of demon worship, or it could be a quiet, prayerful time spent with the Lord through His Spirit.  Going to a bar could be a means to drunkenness, or it could be a convenient neighborhood meeting place for fellowship with another believer. The question we should ask when evaluating the appropriateness of these activities is: What does my particpation in this activity mean to me and to others watching me? In other words, why are you doing it? Motives and witness are everything here. In the case of your specific issue, there is nothing automatically wrong with participating in martial arts as a sport, but before you decide to participate, ask yourself what your motivation or purpose is in practicing these arts? Is it for exercise or strength or health or self-defense? If so, then you likely have liberty to participate, since your reason for participating is not sinful. On the other hand, are you practicing martial arts because you have a strong interest in Eastern religion or philosophy? Are you attracted to violence against others and wish to act it out? If so, then martial arts should be avoided, as it is likely to impair your walk with Christ. Martial arts can be practiced as an Eastern religion, or it can be a valuable sport that helps you to learn one of the fruits of the spirit: self-control. Your motive for participating is the key to finding your answer. As with all things involving our freedom in Christ, even when we have the right attitude, we must also consider our witness to other believers. Practicing martial arts around a immature believer who is still struggling with past experiences with Eastern religion or teaching would be a poor choice - just as drinking alcohol in front of a recovering alcoholic would be unloving. Consider both your motives and your potential witness to other believers as you make your choices in these matters. Bible Questions & Answers, Personal Liberty 2009-10-09T04:47:42+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/drinking_in_messiah/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/drinking_in_messiah/#When:17:29:42Z   The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for July 27th was quaff.  They provided this definition: to drink deeply. In addition to the definition they provided this: Nowadays, "quaff" has an old-fashioned, literary sound to it. For more contemporary words that suggest drinking a lot of something, especially in big gulps and in large quantity, you might try "drain," "pound," or "slug." If you are a daintier drinker, you might say that you prefer to "sip," "imbibe" or "partake in" the beverage of your choice. "Quaff" is by no means the oldest of these terms — earliest evidence of it in use is from the early 1500s, whereas "sip" dates to the 14th century — but it is the only one with the mysterious "origin unknown" etymology. This brings to mind a passage of Scripture taken from John 4:10-14: Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?  You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." That is indeed a beverage worthy of a deep drink! Another passage also came to mind from John 6:48-59: I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Catholicism would have us believe (contrary to G-d's declaration that both blood and human flesh are unsuitable for consumption- Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14, Acts 10:14) that the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper is transformed into human flesh and blood. Messiah was definitely not expecting the Jews in Capernaum to start cannibalizing Him. So what then was He saying? In the context of the passage Messiah was talking about manna that was given to the Isra'elites when they left Egypt. It should come as no shock to anyone that Yeshua was not the original "Gingerbread Man" and was not actually made of bread. He was using a metaphor to illustrate His point: just as physical manna fell from heaven and provided physical sustenance to the Isra'elites, so also the spiritual manna (Yeshua) came from heaven to provide spiritual sustenance to the Isra'elites. Consider the context of the words He has already spoken to them after the crowd finds him on the other side of the sea (John 6:25): - This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. - John 6:29- Believe in Messiah - John 6:35-40- Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. - John 6:45- Whoever believes has eternal life - John 6:47 In Jewish literature the concept of "eating the bread from heaven" is a metaphor for the daily study and application of Scripture to a person's life. In other writings like the Babylonian Talmud (in tractate Sanhedrin 98b, 99a), we find references to "eating [the messiah] in the days of Hezekiah," which is an idiom for "they enjoyed his blessings." The First Fruits of Zion ministry makes this observation that we are: "...more acquainted with the metaphor of eating and drinking than we sometimes allow; we 'devour' books, 'drink in' a lecture, 'swallow' a story...'ruminate' on an idea or poem..." May we quaff the drink that Messiah offers to us and eat of the food that He ate: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." - John 4:34 VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2009-10-01T17:29:42+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/comfort_in_tribulation/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/comfort_in_tribulation/#When:17:20:44Z   The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for July 31st was tribulation: Distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also: a trying experience. There are a number of passages regarding tribulation mentioned in Scripture. Messiah gives us words of warning in Matthew 24:9: Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And words of comfort in John 16:33: These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. And Paul gives us words of encouragement in Romans 5:3-5: And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. John tells us of himself in Revelation 1:9: I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. If you feel that you are under attack and are suffering tribulation because of your faith in the Messiah, Yeshua, then know that you are in the company of many faith-filled men of Scripture and in the company of Messiah Himself. Continue to fight the good fight, persevere, and finish the race. Remember Paul's word of encouragement: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. - 1 Tim 1:17 VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2009-10-01T17:20:44+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/calling_with_gods_address_book/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/calling_with_gods_address_book/#When:16:45:49Z   When I was a kid (and not a little kid mind you, but old enough to know better), my friends and I would make prank calls to people randomly chosen from the phone book. I won’t ask if you did that too, because I’m sure we were the only kids in the country who were that bored. The best part about this mindless pastime was you didn’t know who you had called until they answered. Would it be a cantankerous old man? Would it be an frantic mom with a screaming child in the background? Or maybe it would it be a business! The climax of the prank came at the moment they anwered and you heard, “Hello? Hello?” I was reminded of my youthful indescretion recently as I was studying the book of Romans trying to decide who the called are, exactly. In Romans 1:6 Paul addresses his letter to all in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be saints.  Later in Romans 8:28-30 comes this thorny passage: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Emphasis added) Theologians have begged to differ over the proper interpretation of these words, and the debate has divided denominations doctrinally since the Reformation. It is still nearly impossible for me, a simple person, to understand these verses, especially when we compare those verses to the words of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. We generally interpret this verse in Matthew to mean we should spread the gospel to convert unbelievers to Christianity (though I tend to dispute that interpretatoin – a subject for a different day), yet it does beg the question: why do we work to spread the gospel if God has already decided who He will call to hear it? I mean, if there are certain people whom God has called but He has not called everyone, then why doesn't He sift the wheat from the chaff for us so we can spread the Gospel more easily? If I knew I was preaching to the future Sunday choir, I could preach the Lord’s praises like Billy Graham. On the other hand, just the thought of presenting the Good News to a defensive rebel who will resist the message until Jesus comes again strikes dread in my heart. How do I resolve this dilemma? Well, the memory of my childhood prank brought me an answer of sorts. I think the reason we continue to go into all the world preaching the Gospel is because we don’t know what number God will dial, and therefore we won’t know who He is calling until someone says, “Hello? Hello?” I also know God doesn't call random numbers like I did. He dials His numbers with a divine purpose, so I can be sure that when His call prompts a "Hello?", it will lead to a fruitful conversation. We are, therefore, Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. - 2Corinthians 5:20 What are you waiting for? Grab the white pages and get dialing!  VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-10-01T16:45:49+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/clearing_clogged_pipes/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/clearing_clogged_pipes/#When:16:08:41Z   My son’s toilet overflowed the other day. As I was running to grab the old towels, I slipped and fell right into the middle of the mess. Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a mess, looking around wondering how you ended up sitting there with wet sweats and soggy slippers? In my case, the mess was caused by my son's backed-up toilet, and I feared the obstruction was pretty serious judging by the roll-sized clumps of toilet paper lying in soggy piles all around me - not to mention what may have gone before the paper. Ugh! While considering the probably cause of the toilet's overflow, I was struck by a sense of irony, because this incident came on the heels of recent argument I had with my husband. Leave it to the Lord and His wisdom to arrest me using such vivid imagery! Surrounded by toilet water, I was indisputably in the right place to receive His lesson. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 that "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Well, the illustration of that truth was certainly becoming clearer from my vantage point on the floor. I was forced to recognize that the overflow of my heart had been equally unpleasant as the one I was now sitting in. The source of my foul overflow was a violation of Ephesians 4:26-27 which instructs: In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. I had been given ample opportunity prior to our argument to "flush" my anger away, but I waited too long. By the time the next opportunity came along, a "clog" had accumulated in my heart causing an overflow of epic (or should I say septic?) proportions.Speaking through His word in Proverbs 29:8 and again in 29:11, God reminded me that a wise man turns away anger, and a fool gives vent to it. Verse 22 of the same Proverb says, “An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:9 says it too: “Anger resides in the laps of fools.” OK. I think I got that. Stirring and venting are off the list. Anger was in my lap, alright, and when you ignore God's instruction to get "un-angry" before you see the sun set, you’ve set the stage for a big, nasty mess. Jesus offers a simple way to keep the pipes clear in Matthew 18:15: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over... Alternately, if we remember that a brother has something against us, we should go to him and make that right too (i.e., Matthew 5:23-24) - and we should do it before the sun sets.As I mopped up the mess in my son's bathroom, gagging on the smell, I had a new appreciation of the stench of my own sin from God’s perspective. I took a minute to thank Him, again, for the grace of Christ and the mercy He shows me when my mess overflows. Still, I was faced with the clean-up of the aftermath my mess created. That’s the inevitable product of our sin: a mess. And you can’t wade around in it pretending it’s not sloshing over your boots. Our bathroom is clean once again, and my 12-year-old has been reminded of proper paper practices. It’s time for me to go clear my own pipes. Right after I take another shower. VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-10-01T16:08:41+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/collecting_the_stones_of_gods_faithfulness/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/collecting_the_stones_of_gods_faithfulness/#When:15:37:53Z   Early on in my Christian life I was blessed to study in Joshua 4 how God led His people into the Promised Land (finally!). God gets a "do-over" with this generation, since most all the faithless generation before them died while they were wandering...and wandering. When this new generation reaches the Jordan River, they discover it’s at flood stage, so God must part the water to allow the nation to cross over on dry ground. That’s something these children hadn’t seen during the first go-round at the Red Sea. Here’s what history records in Joshua 4:1-3:  Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, and command them, saying, 'Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.'" Why, you ask? The answer comes in Joshua 4:6-7: Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, "What do these stones mean to you?" then you shall say to them,"Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off." So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. I don’t like navel gazing. You know - the pastime of pure self-examination. Asking what happened to me in the past and how that baggage will hang around me forever is just not a productive activity for me, so when I first began to consider the Lord’s command to take up those stones, I was as stubborn as Balaam’s donkey! I thought He was telling them (and me) to remember all the fruitless years of wandering in the desert made necessary by someone else’s sin. No way was I interested in remembering my personal desert wandering. In fact, my favorite verse in the Bible is Philippians 3:13-14: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on” (Emphasis added) But as the Lord began to deal with me, I saw more here than I had at first.  This account in Joshua is such a cool story and you should read the whole thing, but one important concept to get here is this: the priests were standing in the middle of the river bed holding the Ark of the Covenant - the mercy seat from where atonement was made every year for the sins of the people. The Ark and its Mercy Seat are also pictures of Christ's saving work, and the people took stones from under the Ark and built them up on the bank of the river to be stones of remembrance. The gist of this to me was that I should look back on my life and see what I could take from "under Christ" as a remembrance of His faithfulness to me. Think about it: the priests were standing firm on dry ground with water piled up around them as the people hurried across! That’s a picture of how God acts on behalf of His people, and it's His faithfulness He wants remembered. How He cutoff the waters of the Jordan is worth remembering! My faith has been - and I suspect will always be - one that demands a demonstration. Don’t just tell me what I’m supposed to do; show me what that looks like in my reality. If I can’t use something to get through my day, it doesn’t mean anything more to me than trivia. Now I like trivia, but I can’t find the meaning of life in it. So, to help this story mean something useful in my life, I sat down and began to recall all the ways God acted faithfully to me and to my family. I discovered that I had quite a list. I wondered how I could create stones of remembrance and share these things with my then 7-year-old son without eliciting eye-rolling boredom. It occurred to me I should do just what God said to do (imagine that!).  So, one rainy afternoon I took a bucket and collected stones from a river bed not far from my house. I wrote an example of God’s faithfulness to my family on each stone, and then I piled them all in a big glass jar and placed it next to my kitchen sink. Guess what happened? My son arrived home from school that afternoon and asked, “What are those rocks for, mom?” Now I ask you, how faithful is our God? Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer – the stone of help – for he said, "Up to this point, the LORD has helped us!" - 1 Samuel 7:12 VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-10-01T15:37:53+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_is_jesus_the_word/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/how_is_jesus_the_word/#When:14:30:27Z   John's Gospel says that "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God..." I don't understand the meaning of "the Word?" Is the "Word" a person? How can a word be God? - C.B. The prologue of John's gospel is an important work within the New Testament, because it provides perhaps the clearest statement of Who Jesus was in spiritual terms. Essentially, John's prologue states that Jesus was God, but it also seeks to explain, to a certain extent, the nature of Jesus' existence and His role within the Godhead. Let's start by examining the opening verses in John's Gospel: John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:2  He was in the beginning with God.John 1:3  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John uses the Greek word logos to describe Jesus "in the beginning," or before creation and time began. Logos means word, but specifically it means the spoken word or a statement. Jesus is God's spoken word, according to John. John then explains that the Word (Jesus) was "with" God and "was" God. This statement yields two important conclusions regarding Jesus and the Trinity: Jesus is God and existed from the beginning as God, yet Jesus' existence is somehow distinct from God the Father. Jesus was "with" God and "was" God at the same time. This is the mystery of the Trinity: all three Persons in the Godhead are One God and yet all are distinct from one another. Moving to verse 3, John says that it was the Word (Him) that created all things. From this statement, we begin to see why Jesus is called the "Word" by John. Consider these facts we learn from John's Gospel and elsewhere in Scripture: First, we know from scripture that God the Father is Spirit (John 4:24), meaning He doesn't exist in physical form. So, there is no physical substance to God the Father. The Creation cannot experience the Father as He truly is, since we are bound to a physical dimension yet He is not physical. Secondly, we know that God's Spirit is likewise invisible (John 3:6-8). He can only be known by observing His work in the Creation. On the other hand, Jesus is the member of the Godhead responsible for all physical matter. As John said, all things were made by and through Jesus. Paul says the same thing in Col 1:15-17.  More over, Paul teaches in Colossians that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God." Therefore, He is the only Person in the Godhead Who has entered into and become a part of the physical creation. Jesus can be seen in a physical sense, because He is the One Who entered into the Creation and become a part of it (i.e., became incarnate). Therefore, Jesus is the One within the Trinity Who is associated with Creation, both as its source and as an ambassador of the Godhead to that creation. Next, consider how the Creation itself was established in Genesis 1. Genesis 1 teaches that the world was created by the spoken word of God (note the repeating phrase in Genesis 1, "Then God said..."). So when God the Father determined to created the universe and everything in it, He "spoke" it into existence. But as John said in verse 3, Jesus was the One who made all things, therefore we can say that Jesus was God's logos, or spoken Word. We can begin to understand this partnership (at least to some degree) by drawing an analogy to how our own thoughts and words reach into the physical word. When we desire to command something to happen in the world around us, we must first conceive the idea in our minds. No one can see our thoughts. They are invisible, yet they certainly exist. Without our thoughts, we could purpose to do nothing at all. If our thoughts are to become visible in some way, they must move from the invisible realm of our mind and into the physical world. The progression from invisible to visible requires we transfer our invisible thoughts into a spoken command. The brain communicates our thoughts to our mouth where it becomes logos: spoken words. Once the spoken word leaves our mouth, it enters the physical world and yields its intended effect. This simple analogy helps explain how God the Father worked with God the Son (i.e., the Word) to establish Creation. This is John's meaning when he says that Jesus is the Word. He meant that Jesus is the physical manifestation of God the Father, just as a spoken word is the physical manifestation of our inner thoughts. Until Jesus took action and created the universe, there was no physical reality to God's presence. But when God "spoke" (i.e., when Jesus took action), the Creation came into existence. Later, Jesus arrived in Person to meet with His creation, and as Jesus spoke His words to His disciples, He fulfilled the Father's purpose by providing a physical representation of the Godhead to His creation.  Hebrews says it this way: Heb. 1:1  God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, Heb. 1:2  in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Heb. 1:3  And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power... Paul reiterates this same thought in Colossians when he says: Col. 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Col. 1:16  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. Jesus is the Word because He was the means through which the Father brought all physical reality into existence and because He is the One Who represents the Father's invisible nature and character to that creation. Just as your spoken word is the physical manifestation of your thoughts and personality, Jesus is the "Word" of the invisible God to His creation. Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2009-10-01T14:30:27+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/jesus_as_type_in_the_old_testament_-_david_and_mephibosheth/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/jesus_as_type_in_the_old_testament_-_david_and_mephibosheth/#When:03:14:05Z   As Scripture tells us and as I’ve written recently, God's word testifies about Jesus. I want to again look at how we see Him in the Old Testament. It’s my hope that in looking at how the Old Testament gives us numerous pictures of Christ, you will be encouraged to (re)read the Old Testament Scriptures in a new and exciting way, looking for our Lord's portrayal. It is amazing to consider how God is able to weave historical events in such a way that they might perfectly picture the Lord Jesus. We find a type of Christ in the story of King David and Mephibosheth. The context for this story is 2Samuel. In chapter 1, David learns of the death of Saul and Jonathan (Saul’s son) at the hands of the Philistines. There also had been a long war between Saul and David (due to Saul’s jealousy of David), but now that Saul was dead, David has been made king, as God had promised he would be. In those days, when a king who had not been part of the family of the previous king took the throne, it was typical for the new king to track down all of the prior king’s family and kill them to ensure there was no one remaining that could usurp the throne. Therefore, Saul’s family became afraid and began to flee. In 2Samuel 4:4, we read: Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. But David was a man after God’s own heart, and he did not pursue Saul’s family. After conquering some of the surrounding nations, we read in 2Samuel 9: Then David said, "Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" David did this because of the close relationship and the covenant he had with Jonathan (1Samuel 18:1-3; 1Samuel 20:15-17). In 2Samuel 9:3-11, we read what happens next: The king said, "Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet." So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar." Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!" David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly." Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?" Then the king called Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. "You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master's grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons. At this point, it would be good to pause and take a closer look at David, Jonathan, and Mephibosheth. As you may already know, David is a type of Christ, and he is a study all of his own, given the many ways in which the Lord pictures Christ in David. One thing we should consider, however, is what each person’s name means. In Scripture, names typically say something about the person.  For example, David’s name means “beloved." We see Christ as the beloved as well (e.g., Matthew 3:17, 12:18; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 1:13). Clearly, David is a picture of the Lord Jesus. Jonathan means “Jehovah has given," or perhaps more appropriately, “the gift of God." Mephibosheth means “exterminating the idol." He is also called Merib-baal, meaning “contender with Baal." This name has the idea of smashing idols, completely eliminating them. With this understanding in mind, we see a picture of Christ in David and a picture of saved sinners in Mephibosheth. Jonathan can be seen as a picture of Abraham, in light of the covenant between him and David, similar to the covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 15). Let’s first consider Mephibosheth.Early in his life, we learn that Mephibosheth suffered a fall that left him lame and crippled in both feet. Consider what this would mean, especially for someone in that day. As a person who cannot walk, one would be unable to do anything for himself. He would be totally reliant on those around him, completely at their mercy. Anything he could do would be limited by his disability; he could only do what a disabled person could do. Just as Mephibosheth fell, Adam fell and in Adam all sinned (Romans 5:12), leaving all of humanity crippled, spiritually speaking - indeed, spiritually dead, according to Scripture. In other words, as fallen sinners, all we can do is what a sinner does: sin! Though we have a certain degree of freedom, our free will is limited by our fallen nature. Just as a cripple is limited by his disability, mankind’s free will is limited by sin. As you have likely heard, we are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. To change our plight, we need the aid of someone outside of ourselves. From Mephibosheth’s perspective, when he heard that David wanted to see him, this was probably not good news. Remember, in those days new kings typically killed the remaining relatives of the previous king. In Mephibosheth’s eyes, he is an enemy of David, so he never sought out David nor did he want to be found. In his mind, the only thing he could expect from David would be judgment, punishment and ultimately death. Likewise, as unbelievers we never seek God, we are enemies of God, and we know in our spirit that after death comes judgment, as Hebrews 9:27 testifies: And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. The Lord tells us in Romans 3:10-12: THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. Furthermore, Romans 5:10 says: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Were it not for action on God’s part, we would be without hope. This is where David becomes a picture of Christ. Note that it is David who calls for Mephibosheth and that he does this because of the covenant he made with Jonathan, that he would show his lovingkindness to his household. (By the way, the Hebrew word for “lovingkindness” is "checed," pronounced “kheh'-sed." It’s a beautiful Hebrew word to memorize, if for no other reason than to remind us of what God has done for us in Christ.) God also made a covenant with Abraham, one that is fulfilled in the New Covenant. It is in this sense that Jonathan is “the gift of God," because salvation is of the Lord, by faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 tells us: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not only that, Jonathan has the land that belonged to Saul restored to him, just as believers are restored to a right relationship with our all holy God. In the same way Mephibosheth did nothing to be reconciled to King David, we did nothing to be reconciled to God. He is the one who calls, and He is the one who saves. As Paul taught in Romans 9:16: So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Mephibosheth had absolutely nothing to offer David; indeed, being disabled, David would have to care for him. Similarly, we have nothing to offer God, yet He saved us and truly cares for us in our daily walk. It is because of His grace and mercy that He saves us. One additional item of interest is found in the word “lame," which describes Mephibosheth’s feet. The word in Hebrew has a double meaning. It is the Hebrew word “pacach," and it can also mean to “pass over."  In fact, it is the same word used in Exodus 12 when the Lord says He will pass over the houses of the Israelites that are marked with the blood of the lamb.  This is yet another incredibly beautiful picture of God’s saving work, in both Mephibosheth's life and in the lives of saved sinners. Just as the Lord God passed over the houses that were covered with the blood of the lamb and did not kill the firstborn in Moses' day, so the Lord passes over us who are covered with the blood of the Lamb who took our punishment that we deserved, thereby saving us from the wrath of God. Like Paul said in Romans 5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Once called to David’s palace, we see Mephibosheth treated as one of the king’s family.  The prophet wrote in 2Samuel 9:11 and 13: So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons...So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king's table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet. Likewise, believers are adopted by God, made sons of God. 1John 3:1 says: See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God. In Galatians 3:26, Paul taught: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. This emphasizes the personal relationship believers have with God the Father through God the Son. Note also that once Mephibosheth has been adopted into David’s family, we are told he remains “lame in both feet." Likewise, when we become believers, there is nothing that we can do to contribute to our salvation after the fact. For a time at least, we are still sinners (i.e., lame in both feet), but our salvation rests solely on Christ’s righteousness credited to us, not our own, made possible by Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice on the cross. Again, salvation is not based on what we do, but on what Christ has done. Halleluia! Now, this does not mean that we continue in sin.  This is where the meaning of Mephibosheth’s name comes into play.  We are to “exterminate the idols” in our life, because now we have but one God whom we love and worship.  We are to shatter everything that takes our love and attention away from God, things that cause us to care more about them than we care about God.  He is to be the center of our lives, and we are to follow Him obediently, living and walking in the Spirit, and not in the flesh.  Jonah 2 puts it very well:  “Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving that which I have vowed I will pay.  Salvation is from the LORD.” I hope you found this useful and that it has sparked a renewed interest in reading God’s word, looking all the time for His Son.  Let us be diligent to search the Scriptures, for they testify of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, in whom we have salvation. VBVM Columnists, Brian Smith 2009-09-28T03:14:05+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_christian_soldier/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_christian_soldier/#When:02:10:15Z   Recently, I began reading a fascinating book by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour, entitled The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross.  Though I've only finished the first few chapters, I'm already hooked. Dr. Jabbour is an Arab Christian, who grew up in the Middle East and now resides in Colorado, and in this book he offers the western Christian a chance to see Christianity and the West through the eyes of an Arab Muslim. I am finding Dr. Jabbour's unique perspective insightful, and I'm sure it will be helpful to me as I have opportunity to minister to Muslims in the future. The real gems in this book, however, come from Dr. Jabbour's remarkable observations on the American Church itself. Specifically, I cheered Dr. Jabbour's careful examination of the distinction between "Christendom" and the kingdom of God: There has been an evolution in our "Christian" history. In the beginning, those who believed in Christ were known as followers of the Way. In time, they were called Christians. In the fourth century, the emporer Constantine institutionalized Christianity, and it evolved into "Christendom." The church entered into a "holy matrimony" with the state. In contrast to Christendom, the kingdom of God has to do with the invisible rule of God, the expansion of the gospel irrespective of who rules the land and living with Christlike attitudes and behavior... ...The kingdom of God has to do with the eternal rule of God. For Christians, our primary citizenship is the kingdom of God, not Christendom or Western culture. - Excerpts taken from "The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross," page 51 Amen!! The misson of the Church and of every Christian is to build the kingdom of God by seeking the lost and living out the Gospel. As Jesus said in Mark 5:16: Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Instead of pursuing this kingdom, too often Christians seek to build Christendom, which is Dr. Jabbour's term to describe the West's affinity for the Judeo-Christian ethic and general promotion of a Christian worldview within society. This is cultural Christianity, and it should never be confused with the kingdom of God. Christians in the West (particularly the United States) often champion and defend Christendom rather than supporting the spread of the kingdom of God through the message of the Gospel. Ironically, Christians may win the battle of promoting Christendom by electing conservative politicians and pro-family judges, outlawing sinful behaviors and obtaining governmental protections for religious practices – yet in the end gain nothing for the kingdom of God. Our victories for Christendom will never - by themselves - advance the kingdom of God. For that, Christians must be prepared to preach and live out the Gospel. Dr. Jabbour observes that the kingdom of God often flourishes in places like China, where Christendom is weak or nonexistant and persecution is common. Conversely, in most Western countries where Christendom is strong, the kingdom of God is stagnant or even shrinking. Could it be that our cultural support for Christendom is an impediment to the growth of the kingdom of God??? Instead of working to bolster Christendom, Christians should work to recruit and train new citizens for God's eternal kingdom. Along the way, we may take steps to support Christendom within society, but only so long as Christendom's existence furthers the Gospel, which as Dr. Jabbour points out, isn't necessarily the case. In the final analysis, God's kingdom cannot be found in this world (at least not until Christ returns to establish it Himself), so neither should we form personal allegiences nor establish ministerial objectives that seek to substitute earthly achievements for God's spiritual purposes. As Jesus said in John 18:36: Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” We are not Americans who practice Christianity. We are Christians who happen to live in America (or wherever we may reside), but our true home is in Heaven. With that in mind, we should make it our goal to devote ourselves to the mission Christ handed us - without becoming distracted by the affairs of this world. Perhaps Paul said it best in his instructions to Timothy concerning the discharging of his pastoral duties: Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.  - 2Tim 2:3-4     VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2009-09-28T02:10:15+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/where_did_cain_find_his_wife/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/where_did_cain_find_his_wife/#When:02:31:10Z   Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel and left Eden to live in the east. Where did he get his wife since Adam and Eve were the first humans on the planet and with Cain and Abel that made it four people in total? - T.S. In Genesis 2, the Bible tells how God created man and later woman on the sixth day of creation. While they lived in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Woman were the only two human beings in the world.  Nevertheless, God gave these two people the command to multiply and fill the earth in Gen 1:28. Unfortunately, Adam and Woman sinned before they could execute God's plan for reproduction. Nevertheless, the couple (now Adam and Eve) follow through on God's plan and build a family, starting with Cain and Abel.  Obviously, God's plan from the beginning was that these two people would conceive children and these children would, in turn, have their own children until the earth was filled with nations of people. God's instruction to Adam and Woman begs an obvious question: how did God expect one couple to fill the earth? To this question the Bible offers an equally obvious (if troubling) answer: God intended Adam's children to marry one another and bear children. As we consider this answer, let's review some points of scripture. First, Adam's family included more people than simply Eve, Cain and Abel. Gen 5:4 tells us that Adam had many sons and daughters. The first son born was Cain, and soon thereafter came Abel, but that doesn't mean other siblings weren't already living at the time Cain killed Abel. On the contrary, Gen 4:14 indicates that there were other members of Adam's family already living as adults at the time that Cain killed Abel. Cain expressed concern when he learned from God that he must wander the world as his punishment for killing Abel, because he said he feared that others (i.e., other members of his family) would find him and take revenge against him (v.14). Secondly, though the Bible only mentions four people by name at the point of Genesis 4, the full genealogy of Adam is provided in Chapter 5. The fact that Chapter 5 follows Chapter 4 sequentially in the Bible doesn't mean that many of the people listed in Genesis 5 weren't already living during the events of Chapter 4. The genealogy chapters of Genesis, including Chapter 5, span long periods of time, including events described in other chapters of Genesis before or after their order in Scripture. Therefore, we know from scripture that in the early years after the fall, Adam and Eve raised a family of many children who grew to adulthood and joined together in marriage relationships to establish the next generation. By the time Cain killed Abel, there were numerous siblings living with extended families. Later, Cain married one of his sisters (4:17) as did the rest of his siblings (5:1-5). No answer to this question would be complete, however, unless we address the natural concern we have in hearing that God expected brothers to marry sisters. First, we must understand that it's clear from the circumstances described in Genesis that God intended for Adam's siblings to marry and reproduce. In fact, Adam and Woman were themselves blood relatives (Gen 2:21-22), so even the first marriage united two people who shared the same DNA. Even as late as Abraham and Isaac, the custom of marrying within one's family was still an acceptable practice (Gen 24:4). Later in the Law, God specifically outlawed sexual union between blood relatives (Leviticus 18). Likewise, today it is illegal in most (if not all) cultures for siblings to marry and produce children. Such unions are considered dangerous, since the children are at much higher risk of suffering from genetic diseases, and most incest laws are justified on the basis of this health concern. So, why would God consider marriage between siblings to be acceptable in Adam's day but later outlaw such relationships? The answer is found in the curse placed on the Earth because of Adam's sin.  God's instructions to Adam and Woman were given while both lived in the Garden and before they had fallen into a state of sin. At that time, Adam existed as he had been created: he was perfect. His body contained no defects. In this perfect state, there would be no stigma nor health concerns over sibling marriages, since every human would reproduce in perfection. It was simply the natural course established by God. At the point of the Fall, however, God altered the state of His creation. In response to Adam's sin, God pronounced a curse on the Earth and all that came from the Earth (Gen 3:17-19). This curse directed that everything on Earth that had life would, by necessity, die a physical death and return to dust. The death of living things was to take place through a process of decay: a slow, steady deterioration of God's perfect design culminating in the whole Earth and everything in it "wearing" out and ultimately being replaced (Isaiah 51:6; Psalms 102:25-26; Heb 1:10-12).  Our bodies will be replaced at the resurrection and the world itself is replaced with the coming of the new Heavens and Earth. The effects of this curse have become evident in stages. Early generations of men showed little evidence of the curse in the fact that they continued to live very long natural lives, probably because the genetic defects that God ordained to produce the disease and physical frailty leading to death were far less prevalent in those early generations. Nevertheless, Adam's descendants all died eventually as the curse required (Rom 5:14), and over time the defects in human DNA multiplied generation over generation, until disease and other physical frailties caused a decreasing lifespan. By the time Israel left Eqypt during the Exodus, the population of men and women in Israel was plentiful, eliminating the necessity for brothers to marry sisters.  Furthermore, genetic defects in the population had accumulated to the point that the health risks of marrying family members were too great to permit the practice any longer. So, God outlawed it. Bible Questions & Answers, Science and Culture 2009-09-26T02:31:10+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/levigate_polishing_our_lives_for_christ/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/levigate_polishing_our_lives_for_christ/#When:23:29:06Z   On August 3rd the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day was levigate.  They provided this definition: 1 : polish, smooth 2 (a) : to grind to a fine smooth powder while in moist condition     (b) : to separate (fine powder) from coarser material by suspending in a liquid Polish The idea of polishing brought to mind the thought of a mirror.  Mirrors are polished to make the reflection clearer and more accurate.  We were created in the image of G-d to reflect His glory (Genesis 1:26-27).  It seems as though He polishes our lives and removes the dust and smudges to make us better reflect who He is.  The very first mention of mirrors in Scripture is found in Exodus 38:8 when Moshe is making the furniture for the tabernacle: Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. The midieval French commentator Rashi provides some explanation: During the difficult times of the Egyptian bondage the Israelite men separated from their wives. They believed it was improper to bring children into a world of suffering. Their wives disagreed. They faithfully believed that G-d would soon bring an end to their suffering. It was best in their opinion to have children and preserve the continuity of the Israelite people. They used these mirrors to beautify themselves before their husbands in an attempt to persuade them to have children. Their arguments and actions prevailed and they succeeded in raising a new generation. As instruments of faith these mirrors were incorporated into the order of worship that G-d ordained for His people. Whenever the priests would bend over to wash their hands and their feet during their service in the temple, they would see the reflection of the sky and be reminded of the One Who is over all mankind. They were also reminded of the great faith of their ancestresses and encouraged to walk in that great degree of faith (2 Cor 5:7). Smooth This word brought to mind a passage from Luke: Luke 3:3-6 And he [John] came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;  as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.  ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.’” If this passage were spoken in Hebrew or Aramaic then the concluding phrase would be “AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE YESHUA OF G-D”.  It is a play on words…a pun.  “Yeshua” is the Hebrew name that G-d gave to Jesus in Matthew 1:21.  Yeshua means “salvation” in Hebrew.  John is quoting from the Septuagint and declaring that all humanity will see the Yeshua of G-d. May that day spoken of in Isaiah 45:23 when “every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” come to pass speedily and in our days.  Amen. VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2009-09-20T23:29:06+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_mystery_of_nathaniels_meeting_with_jesus/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_mystery_of_nathaniels_meeting_with_jesus/#When:04:09:39Z   In John 1:47-51, why did Jesus use the phrase "without guile" to describe Nathaniel’s character? And did Jesus physically see Nathaniel under the fig tree or did He see him while praying prior to their actual meeting? Finally, why did Nathaniel, after what seems to be only a brief exchange of greetings, acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God? I wouldn't expect Christ's words would be enough to lead Nathaniel to immediately acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God.  - W.A.   In John 1, Jesus meets Nathaniel.  Jesus declares as He meets Nathaniel that Nathaniel is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit (or guile). This statement had double meaning and was a play on words. First, Nathaniel had earlier commented to Philip that the Messiah couldn't be from Nazareth, because "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Obviously, Nathaniel's statement demonstrated a complete lack of faith in Jesus. In response to Nathaniel's cutting comment concerning Jesus, the Lord offered His own cutting assessment of Nathaniel. Jesus said that Nathaniel was an Israelite in whom there was no deceit, but the use of the Greek word dolos (which means deceit or crafty) was a play on the name of Jacob, whose name meant deceiver or crafty in Hebrew. Jacob became Israel, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, so what Jesus said, in effect, was Nathaniel was an Israelite in whom there was no "Jacob" or no true Israel. He was an Israelite by birth, but by his lack of faith Nathaniel was not a true descendent of Israel spiritually. Secondly, Jesus was speaking prophetically about what Nathaniel would speak next. After Jesus confronted him and revealed Himself to be the Christ, Nathaniel declared that Jesus was the Son of God, the King of Israel. By this statement, Nathaniel spoke truly, and therefore Nathaniel's declaration was trustworthy and in him was no deceit. To your second question about Jesus' vision, it's clear that Jesus "saw" Nathaniel in a spiritual sense prior to ever meeting him. Notice in verse 47 that Jesus noticed Nathaniel coming to Jesus, which means that Nathaniel had already left the tree and was walking to meet Jesus. Jesus makes His cutting remark about Nathaniel as He watches Nathaniel approaching Him, and then as they talk Jesus confides that He knew of Nathaniel from long ago. Jesus is referring to God's election of His children before even the foundation of the Earth. Paul describes this knowledge in Ephesians 1: Eph. 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,Eph. 1:4  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In loveEph. 1:5  He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,Eph. 1:6  to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Jesus demonstrated His Deity to Nathaniel simply in revealing to Nathaniel something that no mere man could have known: that Philip had called to Nathaniel while Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree. Nathaniel knew Jesus had not been present in that moment nor had Philip left Nathaniel's side since then, so how could Jesus have known this information? Jesus' statement shocked Nathaniel, and prompted him to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Was Jesus' simple statement the thing that converted Nathaniel? Not exactly. The Holy Spirit must have been at work in Nathaniel prior to the moment of Jesus arrival so that once Jesus appeared and spoke to Nathaniel, his response would be assured. This is the meaning of Paul's statement in 1Cor 12:3: 1Cor. 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. All men are brought to a saving faith in Christ in precisely the same manner: we are drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit, Who convicts all men of sin and brings a repentance that leads to salvation.  This repentance is the work of God by His Spirit, and it prepares the heart to receive the Gospel (see Acts 11:18; Rom 2:4; 2Cor 7:9; 2Tim 2:25).  Obviously, Nathaniel had received the call of the Spirit, so that once Jesus spoke to him, Nathaniel was ready to believe. It only required that Jesus reveal Himself to Nathaniel for his faith to be established. Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2009-09-12T04:09:39+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/word_for_thought_-_verbatim/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/word_for_thought_-_verbatim/#When:02:20:21Z   The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for July 27th was verbatim.  This was their definition: in the exact words; word for word. An interesting anecdote came to mind when I saw this word. Some friends went to Israel on a mission trip to visit the Holy Land and to evangelize there. While they were there they attempted to teach a group of a dozen Hebrew youths the game of "telephone." Telephone is a game where a line of children whisper a phrase from one person to the next. Each person must repeat the phrase exactly as they heard it spoken by the previous person. Obviously, mistakes and distortions are introduced along the chain as the phrase is heard and then repeated. By the time the phrase reaches the last person on the chain, it will have changed substantially from the original. The object of the game is to show how gossip results in distortions and inaccuracies. As the telephone game was explained to the Hebrew children, they were confused at first: the children couldn't understand the point of the exercise. As they finished playing a round of the game, an amazing thing happened. The child at the end of the line repeated exactly the same phrase that had started the game with the first child. For obvious reasons, my missionary friends were startled by the perfect result, so they decided to make the children play another round of the game. Yet again, the phrase was repeated perfectly through the entire line of children. What these Western missionaries experienced was a distinction between Hebraic eastern culture and American western culture. In Hebraic culture it is considered honorable to quote someone exactly. As a result, children are usually trained to quote others with a degree of precision unimaginable to most Americans. This is part of the cultural heritage of the Hebrew people. So, when unbelievers claim that Scripture was transmitted by word of mouth for centuries before it was written down and therefore must be corrupted over time, I share two things with them: 1.    Exodus 24:3-4 and Deuteronomy 31:9 which make the point that Moshe wrote down the words of Scripture.2.    This anecdote that illustrates that for millennia exact repetition has been a hallmark of Hebrew culture and society, not only in speaking but in writing as well. VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2009-09-06T02:20:21+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/stand_up_and_fight/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/stand_up_and_fight/#When:00:52:55Z   When was the last time you got into a fight? I don’t mean a verbal altercation; I mean a down and dirty, roll-in-the-dirt fist fight? I was eight, and I can’t remember the reason, but I remember the boy’s name and how it was over before it really got started. I took the initiative and belted my opponent right in the gut.  He went down on his fanny with a look on his face that I will never forget. Victory! Sweet victory! (I know at this point you’re looking back at my profile picture thinking that someone posted this to the wrong person’s link – but no, they got it right.) Now I’m not advocating playground brawls. I have a 12 year-old boy and would rather he develop the intelligence to fight with his head than with his fists, and I guess that’s the point I want to make.  We Christians have to learn to fight, and fight smart, even when the fight turns ugly and requires down and dirty rolling-in-the-dirt gut-punching. Let me explain. I have a friend who is in the fight of her life. Well, who am I kidding; I have several friends, as I’m sure you do as well, who are in the fights of their lives.  What frustrates me is that they don’t know it, and I’m convinced that even if they did know it, they wouldn’t know what to do about it.  Let’s face it - girls aren’t supposed to fight. Isn’t that what we’ve been taught? (Alright, so maybe you’re of the male persuasion and it’s socially acceptable for you to fight as long as the face you put on over the puffed up chest looks sorry enough.) Would it be liberating to know that God gave you permission to fight and not feel bad about it? Ephesians 6:10 says that we are to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." Ephesians 6:11 says that we are to “take our stand” dressed in God’s armor. In those two verses we get our first marching orders as soldiers in God’s army. The first thing to remember is that it is God’s army. We are strong in His power, not our own. We’ll get to that in a minute. The second thing He tells us is to stand up and fight! Do you know the opposite of a fighter?  It’s a doormat! Now let’s talk about the enemy, in case you’re making a list of car-pool offenders and thinking about that kid who pushed your little one off the swing. Ephesians 6:12 says that our fight isn’t with them…sigh. Unfortunately, our fight is with an unseen enemy who is at work to stir up sin within us. You know that bad feeling you direct toward the mom who continues to talk on her phone in the carpool line, while her preschool child struggles like a packmule under the weight of a nap mat, backpack, and lunch box…well, that feeling you have is wrong. Let’s just call it what it is. So, to recap: we are in a fight, we fight with all the power of the Almighty, and our fight is primarily with our own sin provoked by an enemy we can’t see. The only way to win this fight is by putting on our armor and answering the call to battle. We are to stand up and fight. Still, I’m a very practical person. I need to know what standing up and fighting looks like. Even better, I want to see it demonstrated. I suspect you too would like an explanation of how to fight in God’s power, right?  Here's where I found the answer and most of the instruction you need to get armored, stand up and fight: “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14a) In order to fight with God’s power, you must first have the word of God dwelling within you. This means we have not only God's Spirit, Who is the seal of our salvation, but truly we are also to have His word in a very tangible way. In John 14:26, we're told that one of the Spirit’s purposes in our lives is to remind us of Jesus' instructions to His Church. Though God can do anything, He isn't likely to remind us of His words if we haven't already taken time to consider them. Remember, nothing in, nothing out. Perhaps you’ve heard all this before, and if so, I’m probably beginning to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher (i.e., "Bwah bwah, bwah bwah bwah bwah..."), but don't overlook the truth of the familiar. God's word is all-important in our fight, and as Ephesians 6:12 says, we are securely held by our salvation, but our sword is the word of God. Did you get that? Without our weapon at the ready, the enemy is wailing on our heads! Though our victory is assured in the end (by God's grace), nevertheless we can only stand there and take his blows unless we fight back! Without God's word, we have no defense! (By the way, fighting without God's word in hand was Adam and Eve's battle plan against Satan in the Garden, and we all know how that fight turned out!) I don’t know about you, but the thought of fighting unarmed just makes me mad! I mean punch-him-in-the-gut mad! By God's grace, we don't have to enter the fight defenseless. Instead, I'm going to take up my sword, which cuts coming and going, penetrating to my very soul and judges my thoughts and attitudes by calling them what they are (Hebrews 4:12). Secondly, I’m going to take those thoughts and attitudes captive to the mind of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I’m going to look for a way out of temptation, which God promises to offer me (1 Corinthians 10:13), and I’m going to choose it over temptation. Finally, I’m gonna whack my enemy on the head with my sword, 'cause I’m not the kind of girl you’d call a doormat!  So, as I watch the oblivious soccor mom sitting in the carpool lane and hear the enemy whisper in my ear, “Will you just look at her,” I will be ready with my sword to remind myself “greater love has no man than this." And I will beat him back. When the enemy tells me that revenge is sweet and can be its own form of justice, I will strike a blow by replying, the Lord says that we are to "heap blessings on our enemy, seventy times seven." When I hear the enemy say that I am too weak for this trial, this illness, this temptation, this disappointment, I will lean on my sword remembering that God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong, and I will delight in my weaknesses and difficulties for when I am weak, then I am strong. Now this is fighting! I’m fighting in the strength of God’s word, with His word is my weapon. Every now and again I may get beat down, usually because I haven’t been training enough, and then the best I can do is pull out the below-the-belt punch: “I’m gonna tell my Daddy, and He’s gonna crush your head!"  OK, so it’s a little immature, but it’s still truth as I read it in the word!! So let me ask the question again. When was the last time you got into a fight? I hope it was today! See you on the playground! “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."  Deuteronomy 20:4 VBVM Columnists, Melissa Church 2009-08-27T00:52:55+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/preach_the_word/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/preach_the_word/#When:02:35:16Z   A recent article published in the New York Times highlighted the continuing success of prosperity preaching during our current economic downturn. While many businesses and vitually all charities are struggling to maintain services in the face of diminishing revenues, prosperity gospel preachers are doing remarkably well, according to the article. The Times article focused on the Southwest Believers' Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, where the usual cast of prosperity gurus delivered their predictable pitches to an estimated 9,000 followers seeking a share of the financial success clearly enjoyed by the event's headliners.   The Symptoms The speakers, many dressed in expensive designer clothing, paraded across the convention stage making frequent references to their country club lifestyle and their private jets. While crediting God for their "blessings," the prosperity teachers intentionally provoked envy among their followers, who eargerly responded by funding a "seed" for their own future properity. Sadly, for all the attention this conference generated, there's truly nothing new here. The love of money is the root of all evil, as Paul declared long ago, and a love for money combined with a talent for manipulating the naïve and gullible have long been the calling card of conartists the world over. Regrettably, the Church has been a favorite target of this heresy over the centuries as well. Centuries ago, Martin Luther famously initiated the Reformation when he objected to Rome's acceptance of indulgences, or donations offered by grieving relatives hoping to hasten a departed loved one's acceptance into Heaven. Indulgences were big business in Luther's day, because the Church had discovered that preying on fear and grief could be hugely profitable. When Luther exposed the heresy, he threatened much more than Catholic dogma or authority: he was meddling in the Church's financial lifeblood. Centuries later, itinerant preachers and salesman traveling across nineteenth century America perfected many of today's methods for parting a fool from his money. Peddled bogus medicinal cures and promising miraculous Holy Spirit healing in tent revivals, these charlitans showcased their own wealth and success to validate their message, and eager crowds readily accepted what they saw. Few victims ever recognized the obvious: the personal wealth enjoyed by prosperity preachers wasn't the product of a truthful message but of dishonest methods. To be fair, the Bible - and particularly the New Testament - does have much to say on the topic of wealth, but the message is far different than the one preached by prosperity gospel proponents. From the parables of Jesus to the Apostles' letters to the warnings in Revelation, the Bible consistently refutes the claims of these false teachers. (If you are interested in what the Bible says on the topic of money, I recommend you listen to The Love of Money Part 1 & Part 2).   The Diagnosis If the Bible's teaching on money clearly denies the prosperity gospel's claim that God desires to make believers rich in material terms, then why have so many people in our "enlightened age" fallen prey to this nonsense? Besides the message's obviously seductive appeal, the real answer is found in the Church's growing ignorance of the Bible. Greed and materialism have always existed, of course, but as George Barna and others have documented, the Church has experienced an alarming erosion of Biblical knowledge over the past fifty years among professing Christians, and a fool and his money are soon parted. Many churches are facilitating this trend by downplaying within their programs the importance of a deep and abiding knowledge of God's word, thus becoming satisfied with (at most) a superficial understanding of Scripture in their congregations. Even more alarming, ignorance of the Bible is now moving beyond the pews and into pulpits, as increasingly pastors themselves are becoming unfamiliar with the core doctrines and history of our faith.  This trend is largely to blame for the remarkable inroads prosperity preachers have made into many prominent congregations around the country, and it almost certainly explains many other ills within the Church. The Church's ignorance of Scripture has done much to prove true the old adage that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." Dangerous, indeed, and costly.   The Cure Of course, God isn't taken by surprise over all this. The writer to the Hebrews warned specifically of just such a situation, when he wrote in Chapter 5: Concerning [Melchizedek] we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. - Heb 5:11-14 In this passage, the writer clearly connects the Christian's ability to discern good and evil (e.g., to discern good teaching from false teaching) with seeking a deeper understanding of God's word (i.e., the "meat"). Conversely, when a Christian fails to progress in this way, he will never acquire this important ability, and eventually he becomes a willing victim for the enemy's schemes - including the fleshly appeal of the properity gospel. What is the best antidote against the Church's slide into apostasy? Again, the Bible gives us the answer: I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His  appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. - 2Tim 4:1-4 Don't you wish that every problem in life had such an easy answer? On second thought, maybe they do.   VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2009-08-19T02:35:16+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/directors_monthly_eletter/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/directors_monthly_eletter/#When:20:56:24Z   Summer time is traditionally a time for taking it easy: barbeques in the backyard, laying by the poolside, family vacations and spending long days at the ballpark or lake. While we certainly had our share of summer fun, the staff at VBV Ministry never slowed down this summer. On the contrary, we experienced one of the busiest seasons in our history. Book of Ruth Study Our summer began with delivering a week-long course through the book of Ruth at First Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. This course marked the introduction of a new teaching style and format for VBVM: two teachers working in partnership to present two different perspectives on the book. This is a style we hope to repeat and perfect in the future. If you missed the class in June, you can still download the teaching of Ruth here: Ruth Study page > Our New Website Launches In July, over seven months of hard work came to fruition as our new website went live on July 14, 2009. Besides our new graphics design, new ministry logo and a host of other visual changes, our new site offers greatly expanded content. In the first two months alone, we've published nearly fifty written articles answering Bible questions, offering commentary on church trends and practice, and explaining difficult theological concepts. The written material compliments our existing audio library of hundreds of hours of verse by verse Bible teaching. And all of it remains free of charge. The response to our new site has been tremendous. In the first month of operation, we've experienced a 25% increase in new visitors, a 100% increase in web page traffic, and a 50% increase in time spent browsing our pages. We're on track to host nearly 1,000,000 page visits per month from over 150 countries worldwide. We've also received many letters of encouragement and thanks from many of our listeners, and we are grateful for everyone's support. The Lord has allowed us to accomplish this work through your prayers and financial support, and we look forward to serving you even better in the future. There will be much more arriving in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!   New Class Announcement – Isaiah Our next VBV Ministry study will focus on what is arguably the most important prophetic book of the Old Testament: the book of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah's sixty-six chapters contain equal parts history and prophecy, judgment and redemption, sorrow and joy. Even the structure of the book – the number of chapters in Isaiah mirrors the number of books in the Bible – implies a mystery to be unraveled. We'll do our best to reveal all that Isaiah has to offer in our trademark in-depth and penetrating style. Visit our Isaiah Class page > We hope you can join us in person for this seminal Old Testament study, or follow along online by downloading each week's class at our Isaiah Study page. VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2009-08-17T20:56:24+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_baptism_required_for_salvation/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/is_baptism_required_for_salvation/#When:03:46:38Z   In Mark 16:16, Jesus declares that, "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." Does this mean that baptism is a requirement for salvation?  - N.L.   Regarding Mark 16:16, this is an often misunderstood verse in the Bible. As you indicated, some have taken this verse to mean water baptism is required for salvation, thus establishing a human work as a prerequisite for salvation. Obviously, declaring any human work to be a necessary requirement for salvation would contradict the clear and consistent teaching of the New Testament, perhaps best summed up by Paul in Romans: Rom. 4:5: But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousnessRom. 10:9-10:  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. If in Mark 16:16 Jesus had intended to make water baptism a requirement for salvation, then He would have been contradicting the entire testimony of Scripture, and we know that God never contradicts Himself (1Sam 15:29).  Fortunately, there is no contradiction, because Mark 16:16 does not teach that you must receive water baptism to be saved. Instead, Jesus was saying that faith and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is necessary for salvation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the moment of regeneration within the spirit of every believer that accompanies (and enables) a true faith. It is impossible to believe the Gospel and be saved without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which occurs in the moment the Holy Spirit indwells a new believer. We can read about the baptism of the Holy Spirit in many passages in the New Testament. For example, John the Baptist talks of the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit in Mark 1:8 and John 1:33. Jesus talks about it in Mark 10:38-39 and again after His resurrection in Acts 1:5. Peter talks about this new baptism in Acts 11:16.  Paul talks about this baptism in Rom 6:3-4, 1Cor 12:13, Gal 3:27, Eph 4:5, and Col 2:12. These are all references to the saving work done by the Holy Spirit in the heart of every believer, which we call the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" or sometimes just "baptism." Remember, water baptism is merely a sign of something greater. Paul teaches in 1Cor 15 that water baptism is a picture of how we died with Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and how we will rise again with Him one day. When we experience water baptism by going under the surface of the water, we picture our spiritual death through Christ's death on the cross (i.e., going down into the grave with Christ). When we come up out of the water, we picture our future resurrection in Christ. Therefore, the act of water baptism is an outward sign of the inward change accomplished by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Interesting, both Peter and Paul make clear that water baptism is NOT a requirement for salvation in their letters.  First, Paul says explicitly that Jesus did NOT send him to water baptize people, but instead to preach the Gospel for the salvation of men (1Cor 1:17).  If water baptism had been a requirement for salvation, why would Paul say he wasn't sent to baptize with water?  Wouldn't we expect him to say the opposite: that he was sent to baptize since it was essential to salvation? Clearly, Paul didn't think water baptism was a means to salvation. Furthermore, consider Paul's own conversion. If you read Acts 9, you will see that as Paul arrives in Ananias' house, Jesus declared that Paul has been saved and appointed to become Jesus' instrument to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul then believes and is filled with the Holy Spirit.  Only later does Paul receive water baptism. Obviously in Paul's conversion, salvation occurred before his water baptism. Secondly, Peter says in 1Pet 3:21 that water baptism ("the removal of dirt from the flesh") is not what saves a person, but rather men are saved by an appeal to God for a good conscience.  Such an appeal is made possible by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:3).  In other words, Peter is saying "...baptism saves you - not water baptism but the baptism of the Holy Spirit." Finally, consider these additional reasons for how we can know that water baptism is not a prerequisite to salvation: 1. The thief on the cross was declared saved by Christ, yet we know the thief never experienced water baptism before he died. If even one man can go to heaven without water baptism, then it disproves the teaching that Mark 16:16 makes water baptism a requirement for salvation. 2. The OT saints like Abraham never experienced any form of water baptism, yet the Bible tells us they were saved. In fact, they were saved in the same way we are saved: by faith alone. Paul clearly and specifically teaches in Romans 4 that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.  Abraham was declared righteous (i.e., saved) by faith without any requirement for water baptism. Again, if the OT saints could be saved by faith without the requirement for water baptism, then we can know that Mark 16:16 is not teaching that water baptism is a requirement for salvation. 3. In Acts 10, Peter declares that the church leadership shouldn't withhold the opportunity for water baptism from Gentiles who had already received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:47). Elsewhere, Paul tells us that the definition of a true Christian is anyone who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14).  Therefore, according to Peter the Gentiles in Acts 10 were already indwelled by the Holy Spirit, which means they were already Christians - and yet they had not received water baptism at that point. Here again, we see clearly that water baptism is not a prerequisite for salvation. There are many other examples like these in the Bible that prove that water baptism is not the essential requirement for salvation. Salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, and this salvation is not by works so that no man may boast (Eph 2:8-9).  This is truly Good News!  Bible Questions & Answers, Difficult Passages 2009-08-16T03:46:38+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/jesus_as_type_in_the_old_testament_-_noahs_ark/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/jesus_as_type_in_the_old_testament_-_noahs_ark/#When:03:44:51Z   If I could have been anyone in the Bible, one of the most interesting to be would have been a disciples on the road to Emmaus walking with Jesus (Luke 24).  Can you imagine having the Lord God explain the entire Old Testament to you?!  How incredible that must have been; it had to be the best Bible study those two disciples ever had!  An important lesson in that passage of Luke is how Jesus tells us that the Old Testament Scriptures testify of Him. I remember when I first became a Christian, I didn’t like reading the Old Testament very much. Many Christians still don’t like to read it.  However, once the Spirit showed me that the entire Bible is about Jesus and that He is pictured throughout the Old Testament, I came to love reading the Old Testament.  It’s exciting to look for Christ in every book, even on every page.  While I’m no expert in this area and there are certainly several books written on this very subject, I thought it would be edifying to point out one of the most beautiful pictures of our Lord given in the Old Testament.  What follows is from my own study, but I also relied heavily on a teaching by A.W. Pink on this subject. I highly encourage everyone to read Pink’s discussion of types of Christ in the Old Testament. We find a type of Christ in the story of Noah.  Both Noah and the ark itself are types, or symbols, of Christ. First, Consider the state of the world at the time of Noah. Genesis 6 tells us: Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them. God is about to bring His judgment and wrath on mankind for their evil ways. He was going to destroy everything He had made, except v.6 tells us “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”  It is in this context that we begin to see both Noah and the ark as types of our Savior. Consider the following ways we find Christ in this story: 1. Noah’s name means “rest."  Genesis 5:29 tells us why Lamech, Noah’s father, named him thus: “Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed.”  Lamech was referring back to the promise God made to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15, prophetically speaking of the One who would ultimately deliver mankind from the curses that resulted from Adam’s sin.  Furthermore, Noah and his family were able to “rest" in the ark, as they were spared from God’s wrath. Likewise, Jesus is our rest, our Sabbath. In Him, we cease toiling and relying on our own works to save us. Only in Christianity do we find God doing all the work of salvation and providing rest for His elect. All false religions require man to “do” something to work their way to salvation. Praise God for providing a Savior in whom we can rest! 2. Of all the people in the entire world, Scripture tells us that God found favor in Noah. By God’s sovereign choice, He would bring “salvation” to His elect through one man and one man only: Noah. Likewise, God has chosen from before the foundation of the earth to bring salvation to all of His elect through one man: His Son, the God-man, Jesus Christ.  Because of the work of obedience done by one man, Noah, he and his family were spared from the wrath of God. Similarly, because of Jesus’ work in His perfect, sinless life and in His obedient death on the cross, He was raised and all His family of believers will be spared from God’s wrath on judgment day. 3. God made everything subject to Noah. Genesis 9:2 says: The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Likewise, Hebrews 2:8 says of Jesus: YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. Jesus, being God, is sovereign over all created things. 4. The ark itself is a symbol of Christ. Note that God’s wrath was implemented through a great flood, and only those in the ark were kept dry, thus escaping God’s just wrath. An important observation about the ark is found in Genesis 6:14: Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. The Hebrew word for “cover” is kaphar, which means “to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.”  The Hebrew word for “pitch” is kopher, which means “price of a life, ransom, or pitch.”  Therefore, we could read this verse as “covering the ark inside and out with an atonement that is the price of a life.” Indeed, the ark got wet; it suffered the wrath of God while protecting those inside of it. What a beautiful picture of Jesus this is! He took the battering, the punishment we deserved, which was God’s wrath poured out on Him in our place, yet all believers who are “in Christ” will never experience God’s wrath themselves, just as Noah and his family did not. Let us not take this blessing of salvation for granted. 5. God established His covenant with Noah, and this covenant was an everlasting covenant. Genesis 9:16 says: When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. Similarly, the covenant in Christ is ever lasting, as Hebrews 13:20 states: Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord. The Noahic covenant pre-figured the New Covenant, which is also eternal. I hope you found this analysis useful, and hopefully the Spirit has sparked in you a renewed interest in reading God’s word, looking all the time for His Son. Let us be diligent to search the Scriptures, for they testify of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, in whom we have salvation. VBVM Columnists, Brian Smith 2009-08-16T03:44:51+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/distractions_from_the_deceiver/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/distractions_from_the_deceiver/#When:01:44:57Z   Recently the men of my congregation met and discussed several matters regarding our community. One of the matters discussed was the increase in email traffic, which focused on the activities of the current U.S. administration and the concern it was generating among some of our families. News and rumors regarding violations of the constitution, health care rationing, socialism, geriatric euthanasia, government funded abortion, and other serious matters abound. Some emails have alleged government conspiracy. The prophet Isaiah had a few words to share about that: You are not to say, "It is a conspiracy!" In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.  - Isaiah 8:12-13 These echo the very words of the Messiah: Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.  (Matt 10:28-31) Do not mistake His point. His point is not "the sparrows do not fall," but rather they do not "fall to the ground apart from your Father." The same applies to us: when we fall (not if), we will not be apart from our Father.  G-d is always in control. Please do not mistake my point on this either. There are definitely matters of concern that we should address lawfully as G-d-fearing citizens of our country. What we should not do is become so absorbed in the skittering flights of fear, panic, and paranoia that have gripped conservatives since the election that we neglect our responsibilities as citizens of G-d's kingdom. Paul cautioned the believers in Ephesus: As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.  - Ephesians 4:14-16 This echoes Messiah's own teaching: Many will say to Me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall.  - Matthew 7:22-27 The Deceiver seeks to distract us from the very One we should be focused upon: Messiah Yeshua: Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Yeshua, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  - Hebrews 12:1-2 "Conservative" does not equal "Believer" While many conservatives commentators have expressed concern, outrage, anger, and various other emotions about the state of the union over the past six months, they often suggest by their actions that they are not believers. If so, we should weigh that possibility into whether or not we give credence to their claims of faith, especially when they appeal to the "Christian conservative." I do not suggest I know whether they are saved or not. That is knowledge reserved to G-d alone. We should, however, consider these words of Scripture: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
  - Galatians 5:19-26 [emphasis added] We should examine our circumstances soberly and diligently and then move on about our Father's business. We should not be distracted or paralyzed into inaction. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  - Matthew 28:18-20 Did He not preface His instruction with "all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth?" May we live in faith and trust that He does have all authority and ignore the distractions that would lead us into inaction and disobedience! Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim 1:17) VBVM Columnists, Brady Stephenson 2009-08-12T01:44:57+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/finding_god_in_my_red_jacket/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/finding_god_in_my_red_jacket/#When:23:32:34Z   I have a red jacket hanging in my closet. It’s a size too big, but I’ve kept it anyway these past six years. I’ll wear it from time to time, but mostly it’s just a reminder. A memory. A testimony of greater things. I got my jacket from a used clothing store on the campus where Brian, my husband, attended seminary. I suppose I shouldn’t really call it a store, since the clothes there were free. They had been donated to the seminary for the use of the students and their families. Probably organized by those who had once attended there themselves and who knew the difficulty of working, schooling and providing for a family all at once. So they thought they might help out by at least giving out clothes. I had gone with Brian to the seminary to pick out a few things for my new job as a teacher in a local Christian school. I wanted some jackets to go with my skirts, but I only found the one. I liked it, though. Still do. Even though, as I said, it is a size too big. But I like red. Red is a happy color. And my jacket made me happy as well. Now, for this next part. It might be good to keep in mind that the seminary Brian attended used to be one of the grandest in the land. It was built in the most beautiful of locations in the heart of Dallas. But that was a few years ago. Okay, really that was a few decades ago. And cities change over time. So, today it’s located in what most would consider a lowly area of Dallas. It’s a dangerous area, as far as thievery goes. The seminary tells all of its incoming students not to hand out money to any beggers, to lock your car, and not to walk alone off the premises of the campus. They say that handing out money just leads to more begging and possible increased thievery, and the people will probably just use it for alcohol anyway. So we had been warned. But she stood there looking as pitiful as anything I’d ever seen. She must have been forty years old going on a hundred. Back stooped. Clothes torn. Face creased with lines of loneliness and fear. Beside her rested her cart. An old shopping cart which looked even more worn out than her. It held her treasures. It also held her store. Positioned next to the busy street where the cars must stop for the red light, her cart-store stood out from the drab landscape surrounding it. It stood out and caught my attention because it had colorful crosses, croucheted crosses, hanging from the side of it. Purple. Green. Yellow. Other happy colors that I like. And on a torn piece of cardboard, she had written the words, “I need food. Buy a cross.” How could anyone not? That is, unless, they didn’t have any money. Which was me, most of the time But not that day. I had five dollars. A crisp five dollar bill, actually. But it was all I had to my name. And it was meant to last me until Brian got paid. We had cut up our credit cards before going to seminary, nor had we taken loans for either living or tuition. We believed since God called us, He would also provide, a  lesson reinforced during those three years, which later on the mission field I was thankful to know. So when I tell you that the five dollars was all I that I had to my name (and to Brian’s name as well), I'm not exaggerating. That was it. No relatives in town, and hardly any friends since we had just recently moved there to go to school. But I did have food. At least that much I had. I had peanut butter. And I had bread. Well, of course I had bread since they also gave out free, day old bread at the seminary. I also had milk. And I had a bed. A blanket. A family. And a place to call my own...a place I shared with my family and the Texas-sized bugs who lived there, which we inherited when we moved in. But this lady had nothing. Well, okay maybe she had something. But it wasn’t much more than she could fit in her cart And the light remained red, for a conspicuously long time. I looked at my money. Five dollars was a lot. It was a lot for her. But it was also a lot for me to give. And I’m sure she didn’t have change. But I got out of the car, hesitating I hate to say. Hesitating because I only wanted to give her two, or maybe three dollars at the most. I didn’t want to give it all. To be left just with nothing. But what else could I do? You would do the same. I quickly selected a purple cross from her cart and put the money in her hand. I think she tried to smile as best she could. Then I left. Just in time for the light to turn green The car ride home was kind of quiet and seemed unusually long. I was happy for the lady. At least she'd eat...or maybe drink, for one day.  But I also wondered what I was supposed to do if I needed something before Brian got paid from his measly part-time job at the grocery store. Yet I still had my jacket. And I was thankful for that. After all, God had blessed me by giving me so many things. Why should I worry about other things I might need? He knows I need them even before I do. So, my heart started to cheer up a bit by the time we reached home. And I thought it might be nice to try on my red jacket and see how it looked on me. Yet when I did, I discovered that there was so much more to this jacket than I had known. Because when I reached into the pocket to see how it felt, I found a small treasure hidden in there. Five dollars. Yes, a five dollar bill. It wasn’t twenty. It wasn’t one. It wasn't an old receipt from someone's shopping run. It was exactly what I had just given to the poor lady on the street. Some busy soul must have forgotten about it when she donated the jacket to the school. But God hadn’t. He hadn’t forgotten. He knew all along. And He knew just who would need it. But not for milk. Nor for diapers. He knew I needed it for my soul. I needed it as a reminder that God is never late nor ever lacking when we step out in faith to do His will. VBVM Columnists, Heather Jamison 2009-08-11T23:32:34+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/jesus_in_the_old_testament/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/jesus_in_the_old_testament/#When:23:03:16Z   Can we find evidence in the Old Testament of Jesus appearing to men? If our Lord spoke to men in the OT (like to Abraham in Genesis 18), why don't we see those words printed in red letters, as some Bibles do to mark Jesus' words in the New Testament?  - W.A.   Though all Christians believe in the eternal existence of Christ (see John 1), there is still debate as to if and when Jesus appeared in the Old Testament. We believe (as do many Bible scholars) that Jesus appears repeated in the OT, often as the Angel of the Lord, including in the scene you mentioned from Genesis 18. Nevertheless, not all scholars agree on which OT scenes contain appearances of Christ or even if such appearances happened at all. Therefore, Bible editors generally do not apply the red lettering technique in the OT due to the uncertainty over which words belong to Christ. Remember, when a Bible's editors choose to mark Jesus' words using red ink, they are offering an interpretation of the text in the sense that they are deciding for the reader which words were spoken by Christ.  Since this is a matter of judgment, many Bibles use no red lettering at all, and the ones that do highlight Christ's words do so sparingly, usually limiting their use of red lettering to the words Jesus clearly spoke in the New Testament (i.e., the Gospel and Revelation).  If editors were to extend their use of red letters to the OT, they would be forced to make increasingly difficult determinations for which words belonged to Christ.  Consequently, do not base your own interpretation of the Bible on how an editor may have chosen to color the text. These techniques may be helpful guides, but they are not divinely inspired nor infallible.   Bible Questions & Answers, Theology and Doctrine 2009-08-02T23:03:16+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/on_law_and_liberty/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/on_law_and_liberty/#When:21:59:34Z When Moses stepped off Mt. Horeb carrying the stone tablets of the Law, he descended into a scene of debauchery within the Jewish camp. Aaron had failed miserably in his appointed role as shepherd over the recently emancipated Jewish tribes, and on his watch the people had forsaken their Lord for a golden calf they fashioned with their own hands. The sin of Israel was great that day, and for their offense against God, Moses responded by ordering the deaths of 3,000 men at the hands of the loyal Levite tribe. Ultimately, God put to death all the people who participated in idol worship on that day (Num 14:27-35) as a reminder that the sin of unbelief always brings judgment and death. In his anger and disappointment over witnessing the Israelites worshipping the golden idol, Moses shattered the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments at the base of the mountain. Through his immortal act, Moses captured perfectly the nature of man’s sin in relationship to God’s holy standard: when men sin, they break God’s perfect law. The Apostle Paul taught that when men sin, they declare by their actions that they do not wish to be bound by God’s perfection, but rather they believe they are a law unto themselves (Rom 2:1-2).  In the end, man’s sin is a rejection of the Lawgiver Himself.   Why the Law? There are at least four principle reasons for God giving men His Law. First, until the Law had been given, men could not fully comprehend nor appreciate how lofty God’s standard of holiness truly was. The giving of the Mosaic Law gave men a glimpse of God’s holiness. Secondly, the Law of Moses came to reveal sin to mankind. Without the Law, men could not fully appreciate the depravity of their condition nor the degree of offense God found in it. Third, the dietary and societal rules of the Law of Moses provided grace to men in their everyday lives, as it protected them from many of the afflictions common to the pagan world. Finally, the Law of Moses was God’s instrument to drive men to know the true source of their salvation, that is Jesus Christ. On the other hand, Scripture tells us clearly and repeatedly that the Law was not intended to provide men justification (i.e., the establishment of righteousness before God) nor sanctification (i.e., the process of living out righteousness in our daily walk). The law of Moses was powerless to accomplish either of these things. In the case of justification, Paul says in his letter to the Romans that although the Law came to reveal unrighteousness, it was not to be a means for obtaining righteousness.  Paul says that the righteousness of God was manifested apart from the Law (Rom 3:21); meaning righteousness comes by a means other than the Law, that being by faith (Eph 2:8). Secondly, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that the Law of Moses cannot make men perfect (i.e., sanctify them), but instead a “better hope” was needed to accomplish this purpose (Heb 7:19). So, the Law was given to reveal the penalty of sin, to reveal the need for atonement, and to reveal the Person of the atonement – but not to produce nor promote righteousness among men. Perhaps the strongest statement in Scripture declaring the Law of Moses should never be considered a mean to salvation nor holiness is found in Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. In drawing a contrast between the Mosaic Law and the Law of Christ, Paul refers to the Law of Moses as the “ministry of death” and as the “ministry of condemnation.” These are strong terms. Paul teaches that the result of seeking to find justification and holiness through doing the Law is condemnation and death. James tells us why this is so: if you endeavor to keep the whole Law yet break just one, God considers you to have broken them all (James 2:10). Compare those words to Paul's description of the terms of the New Covenant, which he calls the Law of Christ. This better Law Paul calls the “ministry of righteousness” and “ministry of the Spirit” (2Cor 3). You could condense all the Bible says concerning the Law of Moses into a simple statement: the Law was given to show men their unrighteousness, but Jesus came so that He might make men righteous. Therefore, one naturally leads to the other. Paul says the law of Moses is a schoolmaster (or tutor) that drives us to Christ (Gal 3:24).    One At A Time, Please As simple as this concept may be, Christians throughout the centuries have consistently misunderstood the relationship between the Law of Moses given in the Old Testament, and the Law of Liberty (James 2:12) or  Law of Christ (Gal 6:2) given in the New Testament scripture. More specifically, Christians often have been taught it is necessary to submit again to life under the yoke of slavery (as Paul refers to the Law of Moses in Gal 5:1). Such teaching mistakenly believes that observing the law of Moses in some form is a requirement for (or at least a means to) righteous Christian living.  Such a view, however, fails to appreciate the mutual exclusivity of the two Laws (i.e., the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ). Theologically speaking, they are not intended to coexist or complement one another in the Christian experience. On the contrary, the scriptures make clear that the law of Moses and the law of Christ are mutually exclusive; they work together only in the sense that one leads to the other. We can never be subject to both simultaneously.  Rather, we must leave one to join the other (Gal 3:25). The law of Moses and the law of Christ are, by God’s design, opposites in most every respect. One brings judgment, while the other brings mercy. One reminds us of our bondage, while the other grants liberty. One is according to the flesh, while the other is according to the Spirit. One reveals our unrighteousness, while the other leads us to righteousness. One is powerless to cover for our sin, while the other has the power to cover all sin for all time. (see Heb 7-10).  The writer of the letter to the Hebrews uses several illustrations to make this point to his readers, none more compelling than the argument he makes in Chapter 7. In verse 12 he teaches that the priesthood is patterned and governed by the law that establishes it. For example, the Levitical priesthood was established by the Law of Moses, but since we now look to a new High Priest in Christ (v. 26), then by necessity there must also be a new Law in effect. More to his point, the writer teaches in verse 18 that the Law has been “set aside,” and then in Chapter 8 the writer concludes that the Law was imperfect (v. 7), which therefore required God to replace it with something better (v. 13). Clearly, scripture teaches the Law of Christ replaces the Mosaic Law and does not work along side it. Paul illustrates the principle of exclusivity of law in the seventh chapter of his letter to the church at Rome. Borrowing from the nature of marriage, Paul declares that we were once all “married” to the Law of Moses, in that all men were judged by God according to the Law. Once we come to faith in Christ, however, we “died” with Christ to the Law.  Now, having been “born again,” we are free to remarry (Rom 7:1-4), and consequently we are united in a new marriage to our groom, Christ. Paul’s point in Chapter 7 of Romans is the same as the writer of Hebrews: a man may be bound by the Law of Moses or by the better, New Covenant of Christ, but he can never be bound by both simultaneously. Once a man is saved by faith in Christ, the Law of Moses ceases to exist for that person. He has died to the old Law and now lives according to a new Law: the Law of Liberty (James 2:12).   Continue to Part II... VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2009-07-31T21:59:34+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/on_law_and_liberty_-_part_2/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/on_law_and_liberty_-_part_2/#When:03:11:10Z   In the first part of my essay on Law and Liberty, I explained how we are never under more than one law at a times in God's economy.  Before we go further in examining the nature of our new Law under Christ, it’s important to understand that the law it replaces is a single entity in scripture.   The Indivisible Law Contrary to what you may have been taught, the Bible never divides the Law of Moses into separate parts. In truth, there are not “parts” or divisions to the Law of Moses, nor do some of the Mosaic Laws remain in effect today while others have disappeared. The Law was given to the Israelites as a single unit consisting of 613 commandments, and Scripture always refers to the Law as an indivisible whole. Perhaps the clearest explanation of this principle comes from Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministries, when he teaches: It is the principle of the unity of the Law of Moses that lies behind the statement found in James 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law; and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.”  The point is clear: a person needs only to break one of the 613 commandments to be guilty of breaking all of the Law of Moses. This can only be true if the Mosaic Law is a unit...To bring the point closer to home, if a person eats ham, according to the Law of Moses he is guilty of breaking the Ten Commandments, although none of them says anything about eating ham.” 
    - Excerpt from MBS006 A Christian can’t pick a few elements from the Law (e.g., the Ten Commandments) and place them in a special category apart from the rest of the Mosaic Law, especially if our purpose in doing so is an attempt to preserve them along side the Law of Christ. Rather, the Mosaic Law is an all or nothing proposition: either a man lives under the Law of Moses and keeps all 613 laws, or he lives by faith and dispenses with the Mosaic Law entirely in favor of the newer, better law of Christ. Despite this clear teaching of scripture, Christians are too often drawn toward combining the two laws in practice, if not in theology. Generally, these combinations are subtle, especially at first, and they usually begin with improper teaching on the purpose of the Mosaic law itself. For example, a man might one day hear his pastor teaching that Christians should observe a Sabbath by avoiding all work on Sundays. Since the idea seems sensible (and without proper teaching concerning the purpose of the Mosaic Law and the Sabbath), the man may be persuaded to put what he heard into action. The next week, he refuses to work any future Sunday shift at his factory job. Though he may feel good for his decision (and though it might be sensible for other reasons), the man has instituted a needless restriction for himself based on a false premise (i.e., God’s word obligates the believer to avoid work on Sundays). In reality, the Sabbath restriction was instituted for the Jewish nation under the Law of Moses, while the Christian who has liberty has no such restriction given in Scripture. Later the man learns from his Sunday school teacher that Jewish culture observed the Sabbath on the last day of their week (Saturday) and not on Sundays. After further consideration the man decides to change his day of rest from Sunday to Saturday: he begins attending Saturday night worship services and refuses to work Saturday shifts at his job. Through it all, he grows increasingly self-satisfied that his strict adherence to God’s word has pleased God.  Assuming this man's decisions were not prompted by the leading of the Holy Spirit, he has merely performed a work of his flesh (i.e., following his own plan to obtain or display righteousness), and therefore he has pleased no one but himself. Under the Law of Christ, it doesn’t concern God what day we attend worship services or if we cease working on one day of the week (Col 2:16). On the other hand, the reasons we choose to do such things do matter to God. If our actions are based on a mistaken belief that God requires us to adhere to the Mosaic Law, then we are acting like the unbelieving Jews of Paul’s day who displayed a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge (Rom 10:2). We are repeating the sin of the Galatian church who desired to return to a yoke of slavery (Gal 4:9-10; 5:1; 5:4). Since that Law no longer exists for a Christian, we cannot look to it for a defense of our actions. God cannot approve our behavior according to a standard that He Himself has removed for us (Rom 8:3-4). Rather, we are to be led by the Spirit, and must take our direction from Him (Gal 5:18).   Legalism The real danger for any Christian's misguided attempts to "keep" the Law is in its subtle and inevitable progression toward legalism, a lifestyle that views righteousness in terms of strict rules and limitations on freedom. Left unchecked by the counsel of Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit, living the Law often leads to neo-Pharisitical thinking and a life burdened with rules and restrictions designed to please God by works of our flesh. Sadly, works of the flesh neither please God nor make us holy. Paul points out the fruitlessness of attempting to become holy through restrictions on living in his letter to the Colossian church, when he writes: These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against  fleshly indulgence. - Col 2:23 Paul condemns legalistic restrictions again in his letter to the Galatian church, when he insists that those Christians who have acquired a desire to live by the Mosaic Law (and to be circumcised as well) were “boasting in their flesh” (Gal 6:12-13). Paul reminded the Galatians that they were saved by God’s Spirit, not by their own efforts, yet their flesh still desired to take credit for God’s work. The Galatians were attempting to stack their good works on top of grace in a futile attempt to increase their righteousness before God and, if it were possible, participate in their own justification or define their own path to sanctification. Today, I believe many Christians are unwittingly following in the Galatians’ footsteps, seeking to please God through works of the flesh, so that they might boast in their own righteousness.   A Better Law Righteousness before God is so much more than simply keeping the Ten Commandments or even the entire Law of Moses. Paul himself said that righteousness was manifested apart from the Law and that no one will be justified by working the works of the Law (a statement he repeats in Galatians). Not only does this mean we can't be saved by working the Law, but neither can we manifest holiness in our lives as Christians by pursuing the Law. Both our justification and our sanctification are found only in Christ's life and Spirit living in us, since if we have broken one commandment, we have broken them all. Therefore, everyday we break all the Law, but thankfully God provided a better way to pleasing him: faith in Christ and reliance on the Holy Spirit means through faith in Him we have established or upheld the Law (Rom 3:31). The principle reason that the New Covenant is called “good news” is because of how it addresses all the weaknesses and deficiencies of the Old Covenant. Among its many improvements, the New Covenant we have in Christ provides a means of living a holy life, where before the Law was powerless to accomplish the same (Heb 7:18-19). Rather than attempting to keep a set of laws written on stone, which neither adjust nor grow to address our changing circumstances, Christians are to be guided by the Spirit indwelling us (Gal 5:13-18). As the Spirit convicts us of wrong behavior and instructs us concerning the ways of righteousness, we grow more Christ-like (e.g., 1Cor 2:16; Col 2:6-7). In submitting to the Spirit, we are living according to the Law of Christ (e.g., Rom 8:4; 12:1; Col 1:10; 2John 4-6). Walking according to the Spirit is now the law guiding all believers, and it’s the only law we need. VBVM Columnists, Stephen Armstrong 2009-07-31T03:11:10+00:00 http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_road_to_idolatry_ecumenism_and_morality/ http://www.versebyverseministry.org/articles/detail/the_road_to_idolatry_ecumenism_and_morality/#When:04:59:30Z In 1994, several well-known Christians signed a document with leaders of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together," or ECT for short.  Much has been written about this unholy union that does not need repeating here, but one of the motivations for ECT was that the RCC agrees with Christians on many “moral” issues (e.g., abortion, homosexuality, etc.). Together, the signers of the document reasoned, we can be a united force to shape American society, to make it more “moral;" together, we can have a greater voice in these discussions.  The RCC, as she plows down the slippery slope of ecumenism, actively seeks such unions, and increasingly, so do some Christian denominations.  On the surface, we might ask what's wrong with such a union? After all, shouldn’t Christians seek to influence the morality of society?  Implicitly (and sometimes explicitly, as we will see), these unions have a larger political agenda than meets the eye. It is in this context that I want to make Christians aware of a sermon that was recently preached by a United Methodist, Dr. William J. Abraham, entitled, “Striving for Holiness and Peace in a World of Abortions."  This sermon was reproduced in the newsletter Lifewatch – Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality (for those wishing to read the entire sermon in context, you may do so here).  This is a pro-life organization, one that actively supports the RCC due to their similar stance on abortion. What caught my eye were a few statements made by Dr. Abraham, which I quote below: Second, we sally forth in the company of our brothers and sisters in other faiths.  Of course, there will be differences between, say, Christians, Jews, and Moslems. Here we need to be theologically clear, if controversial. Contrary to what is commonly said, Christians, Jews, and Moslems believe in the same God.  We all believe in one and only one Creator of the universe. And we all believe that human agents are precious creatures that come from the hand of God. Such claims are not a matter of political expediency. They are a matter of conceptual fact. Of course, Christians, Jews, and Moslems differ radically. We disagree on the content of divine revelation. We disagree on what God has done for the salvation of the world. And we disagree on how to articulate how God is best understood doctrinally.    However, these differences should in no way undermine the crucial theological point that Christians, Jews, and Moslems share a common, if minimal, vision of God and human agents.  It would be theologically wrong-headed and politically imprudent to ignore this. On the issue of life and abortion, we can work in peace together with other robust theists in our midst.  (Emphasis added.) Clearly, Dr. Abraham believes it is politically prudent to work with those of other faiths. While that may or may not be true, the real question for us as Christians is should we join with other faiths simply to make society a better, more “moral" place.  I believe we will see more and more of this kind of thinking leak into “mainline” Christian denominations.  Consider this: Dr. Abraham is the Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He is a prominent professor at a mainline Christian seminary teaching soon-to-be pastors. Certainly, he is not the first seminary professor to teach false theology, and he certainly won’t be the last, but an increasing number of professing Christians are willing to become yoked together with those who do not believe in the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ for the sake of “morality."  While we may assume their intentions are good (and even acknowledging that American society continues to decay at an alarming rate), is joining hands with those who do not believe the Gospel truly the best way for Christians to reverse America's moral decay? For example, let's consider some of Dr. Abraham’s statements in light of Scripture: Are Jews and Moslems Brothers and Sisters with Christians? Dr. Abraham makes clear he believes people of other faiths are “brothers and sisters” to Christians. This implies that we are of the same family, and therefore, we have the same Father. Are we brothers and sisters with Jews, Moslems, Jehovah Witnesses, Roman Catholics, etc.?  To answer this, let's turn to the Scriptures. The Bible says all people are sinners (Romans 3:23), but more importantly we are told that all men prior to faith in Christ are not God’s children; instead, they are called children of the devil: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”  (Ephesians 2:1-3)   “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.”  (John 8:44)   “Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right!”  (Acts 13:9-10) Clearly, all people, prior to faith in Christ, are not God’s children. The good news for those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is we are born again, born into a new family, the family of God.  Believers (and only believers) are God’s children, born of the Spirit and not of the flesh; only those who are born again are Christians.  The Bible makes this clear. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1:12-13)   “Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.”  (John 11:51-52)   “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”  (Romans 8:15-17)   “But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”  That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.”  (Romans 9:6-8)   “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet be