One of the Christian ministries I've appreciated for nearly as many years as I've been a believer is Radio Bible Class, now known as RBC Ministries. For years I have read their daily devotional called Our Daily Bread. Well, they just sent me an excerpt from a book published by their affiliate, Discovery House Publishers. The book is titled Adventuring Through the Bible, written by Ray C Stedman. The excerpt that I received covers the first three books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus. I love this man's insights! I think what I appreciate most is his recognition that we need to read and study the Old Testament, especially the Torah. Mr. Stedman has also written a book just about Leviticus, titled Leviticus: The Way to Wholeness. Now here's one of the really exciting things I discovered today: there is a whole website full of Mr. Stedman's writings which makes it possible for you to read all of these books and much, much more online for free! You can access it right HERE. Even so, I think I will be adding both of these books to my list of books I hope to purchase for our home library.
Let me give you one quick quote from Chapter 2 of Adventuring Through the Bible:
How poverty-stricken we would be without the Old Testament, yet many Christians, tragically, choose to be poor! They ignore the marvelous, preparatory revelation God has given in the Old Testament, so that the rich truths of the New Testament might come alive in our hearts. As we move from the Old to the New Testament in this introductory section of our adventure together, my hope is that you will be challenged and changed in your approach to this great book and that in the years to come, the pages of the first thirty-nine books of your Bible will become as worn, underlined, and treasured as the pages of your favorite New Testament books.
It always excites me when I find something that reaffirms the value of the Torah, indeed all of the Old Testament, to the believer today. Some in the church would have us believe that the Law and all of that Old Testament stuff ended on the cross with the death of Yeshua, but that's just not so! God's Word stands forever. Forever hasn't ended yet that I know of. And yes, I realize that Mr. Stedman didn't teach that believers should observe the Biblical Sabbath or the commanded festivals of God or eating of the clean meats only, etc. Nevertheless, I find it wonderfully refreshing that this man, a genuine believer in the Messiah, with a long and productive ministry for the LORD, acknowledged and taught that Christians have a need to read and study the Old Testament books. That is half the battle right there, as I see it. Once we accept that the Old Testament is for us, for Gentile believers in the Messiah, as well as for Jewish believers, and begin to really read & study it so as to apply its principles and teachings to our lives, it doesn't take much for the Holy Spirit to bring conviction about just how He wants us to apply that Word in our lives.
Blessed are You, LORD God Heavenly Father, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who has not left us without a witness, if we will only have ears to hear and eyes to see.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Please Check These Out!
Just wanted to pass along a couple of article links really quick today that I hope you will check out. These are SO good!
First, Restoration Ministries has just posted two new LifeBytes articles that I think all believers would do well to read and heed. You can check it out at Restoration Ministries. Scroll down the list to #31 Jeremiah's Call to Repentance and #32 The Many Faces of Idolatry.
Bridges For Peace, another of my favorite ministries, has just released their newest Israel Teaching Letter, too. It's titled, Why Christians Should Study Torah and Talmud, and makes some really good points, points which fit quite well with my own post about the value of Torah. I hope you'll check it out at Bridges For Peace. You will want to look under Publications>Israel Teaching Letters>Why Christians Should Study Torah & Talmud.
Shalom!
First, Restoration Ministries has just posted two new LifeBytes articles that I think all believers would do well to read and heed. You can check it out at Restoration Ministries. Scroll down the list to #31 Jeremiah's Call to Repentance and #32 The Many Faces of Idolatry.
Bridges For Peace, another of my favorite ministries, has just released their newest Israel Teaching Letter, too. It's titled, Why Christians Should Study Torah and Talmud, and makes some really good points, points which fit quite well with my own post about the value of Torah. I hope you'll check it out at Bridges For Peace. You will want to look under Publications>Israel Teaching Letters>Why Christians Should Study Torah & Talmud.
Shalom!
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The First Principles
Back on July 10, I posted a daily devotional from Days of Praise, published by the Institute for Creation Research, titled The Oracles of God. There was a verse shared in that devotional that has been kicking around in my thoughts.
Hebrews 5:12 (New King James) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
In that devotional, Henry M Morris concluded that the 5 books of Moses, known as the Torah, were the "oracles of God." I have looked up the word oracles in Thayer's Greek Definitions; here's what it says:
1) a brief utterance, a divine oracle (doubtless because oracles were generally brief)
1a) in the NT, the words or utterances of God
1b) of the contents of the Mosaic law.
So for the purpose of this post, I am defining the oracles of God as the Torah.
Okay, so if the oracles of God are the Torah, then what are the "first principles" of the Torah? Paul says here that we need someone to teach us again the first principles of the oracles of God.
I think that the very first principle of the Torah can be found in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God..." It all begins with God, with belief that He is. I think that another first principle is that He created the heavens & the earth, the seas, and all that in them is.
Another surely can be found in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified): And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. [Gal. 4:4.]
Exodus 20:2 speaks of another: I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. This is followed by the rest of what we've come to know as the Ten Commandments, from Exodus 20:3-17 (Amplified): You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, [Isa. 42:8; 48:11.] But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. [Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). Six days you shall labor and do all your work, But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes]. Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you. You shall not commit murder. You shall not commit adultery. [Prov. 6:25, 26; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:24; Eph. 5:3.] You shall not steal. [Prov. 11:1; 16:8; 21:6; 22:16; Jer. 17:11; Mal. 3:8.] You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor. [Exod. 23:1; Prov. 19:9; 24:28.] You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. [Luke 12:15; Col. 3:5.]
Here's another from Leviticus 19:18 (Amplified): You shall not take revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. [Matt. 5:43-46; Rom. 12:17, 19.]
And yet another from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Amplified): Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord]. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.
The appointed times or feasts of the LORD and the Tabernacle with all of its furnishings & fittings are surely part of those first principles, too, as they foreshadow the Messiah and teach us of His salvation.
Even though I have been following the LORD for over 30 years and have been reading & studying His Word daily for over 20 years, I still have a great deal to learn. As I have applied myself to reading & studying His Torah over the past couple of years, I have been made very aware of how little I actually know about those first principles of the oracles of God. It is exciting to study His Word knowing that I still have so much to learn!
My heart echoes the writer of Psalm 119:1-6 (Amplified): BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will). Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart. Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. [I John 3:9; 5:18.] You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]! Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.
Hebrews 5:12 (New King James) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
In that devotional, Henry M Morris concluded that the 5 books of Moses, known as the Torah, were the "oracles of God." I have looked up the word oracles in Thayer's Greek Definitions; here's what it says:
1) a brief utterance, a divine oracle (doubtless because oracles were generally brief)
1a) in the NT, the words or utterances of God
1b) of the contents of the Mosaic law.
So for the purpose of this post, I am defining the oracles of God as the Torah.
Okay, so if the oracles of God are the Torah, then what are the "first principles" of the Torah? Paul says here that we need someone to teach us again the first principles of the oracles of God.
I think that the very first principle of the Torah can be found in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God..." It all begins with God, with belief that He is. I think that another first principle is that He created the heavens & the earth, the seas, and all that in them is.
Another surely can be found in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified): And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. [Gal. 4:4.]
Exodus 20:2 speaks of another: I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. This is followed by the rest of what we've come to know as the Ten Commandments, from Exodus 20:3-17 (Amplified): You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, [Isa. 42:8; 48:11.] But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. [Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). Six days you shall labor and do all your work, But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes]. Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you. You shall not commit murder. You shall not commit adultery. [Prov. 6:25, 26; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:24; Eph. 5:3.] You shall not steal. [Prov. 11:1; 16:8; 21:6; 22:16; Jer. 17:11; Mal. 3:8.] You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor. [Exod. 23:1; Prov. 19:9; 24:28.] You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. [Luke 12:15; Col. 3:5.]
Here's another from Leviticus 19:18 (Amplified): You shall not take revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. [Matt. 5:43-46; Rom. 12:17, 19.]
And yet another from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Amplified): Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord]. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.
The appointed times or feasts of the LORD and the Tabernacle with all of its furnishings & fittings are surely part of those first principles, too, as they foreshadow the Messiah and teach us of His salvation.
Even though I have been following the LORD for over 30 years and have been reading & studying His Word daily for over 20 years, I still have a great deal to learn. As I have applied myself to reading & studying His Torah over the past couple of years, I have been made very aware of how little I actually know about those first principles of the oracles of God. It is exciting to study His Word knowing that I still have so much to learn!
My heart echoes the writer of Psalm 119:1-6 (Amplified): BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will). Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart. Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. [I John 3:9; 5:18.] You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]! Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.
The Most Neglected Book
Here's a short article we received from Chuck Missler in his Koinonia House e-newsletter from 5-30-06. I saved it because it spoke to the relevance of the Torah and the importance of reading & studying it for today's believer. Now I am sharing it here for your consideration...
THE MOST NEGLECTED BOOK
It may come as a surprise to discover that there are a number of Biblical experts who regard the Book of Leviticus as the most important book of the Bible! (Dr. Samuel H. Kellogg, Dr. Albert C. Dudley, J. Vernon McGee, et al.)
What is The Most Important Thing in the world? Holiness! True happiness begins with holiness (Hebrews 12:14; Matthew 5:6).
"If I had my choice of all the blessings I can conceive of I would choose perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus, or, in one word, holiness." - Charles Spurgeon
Holiness isn't a luxury: it's a necessity. It's not limited to "the Jews in ancient Israel": Leviticus instructs New Testament Christians how to appreciate holiness and appropriate it into their everyday lives. We seem to want Jesus to solve our problems and carry our burdens, but we don't want Him to control our lives and change our character.
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:15, 16
What is "holiness"? It is the primary emphasis in the Bible. This word occurs 87 times in Leviticus alone. The Hebrew word for "holy" used in Leviticus, qodesh, means "that which is set apart and marked off; that which is different; separateness; apartness; sacredness." The English word "holy" comes from the Old English word halig, which means "to be whole, to be healthy." The related word "sanctify" comes from the Latin sanctis, which means "consecrated, sacred, blameless."
Anything that God said was holy had to be treated differently from the common things of life. The Sabbath was holy because God set it apart for His people. The priests were holy because they were set apart to minister to the Lord. Their garments were holy and could not be duplicated for common use. The tithe is holy.
Holiness Revealed
How did a Holy God reveal Himself and His holiness? The pagan religions were notoriously immoral and involved occultic idols, temple prostitution, and the like. God commanded His people to stay away from their altars and shrines and to refuse to learn their ways. You never call any of the heathen deities "holy." But the "Holy One of Israel" is one of the most oft-repeated names of YHWH in Scripture (30 times in Isaiah alone). In both declaration and demonstration, YHWH made it clear to the people of Israel that He is a holy God, righteous in all His works and just in all His judgments. He also gave them a Holy Law that contained both promises and penalties, of which the Ten Commandments are the essence. It taught them right from wrong, defined things both clean and unclean, and declared the penalties of disobedience. There was no "value relativism" here! The requirements of holiness are uncompromising. Near misses don't count. "The wages of sin is death," and "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
God's Predicament
God hates sin, but He loves sinners. And because He loves sinners and wants to forgive them, He provided a substitute to die in the sinner's place. The whole sacrificial system declared to Israel that a substitutionary death would be required to die in the sinner's place. All this was a prefiguring of a promised Savior who would lay down His life for the sins of the world. What is the "Gospel"? It is God's proclamation of a plan of mercy to sinners. The very definition of the "Gospel" is built on these very specifications:
"That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" - 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4
The death of Jesus Christ was not a tragedy; it was an achievement. He didn't just die: He fulfilled the myriads of precise specifications detailed in the Scriptures that pointed toward this most significant event in the universe.
Relevance of This Book to Us Today
Leviticus is the definitive revelation of the character of God. And God has not changed. It is the revelation of the fundamental conditions of true religion. These spiritual truths still abide: there is for sinful man no citizenship in the kingdom of God apart from a High Priest and Mediator with a propitiatory sacrifice for sin. Beyond the self-offering of the worshiper of God stands the constant testimony that it is only through the shedding of blood - not his own - that man can have remission of sin. We can't appreciate Christ as the solution until we understand the requirements which had to be met.
The Epistle to the Hebrews lays down the principles upon which we are to interpret Leviticus. The typical character of the ordinances is affirmed that the Tabernacle was an "example and shadow of the heavenly things"; the sacrifices prefigured "better sacrifices than these," even the one offering of Him who "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; and, that the holy times and sabbatic seasons of the law were "a shadow of things to come."
Still More to Come
We have seen the "type" of the day of atonement fulfilled in the entering into heaven of our great High Priest, but in the type He came out again to bless the people. Has that been fulfilled? Has He yet proclaimed absolution of sin to guilty Israel? How about the Feast of Trumpets and that of the ingathering at full harvest? How about that consummate type of all, the year of Jubilee? Leviticus looks forward to a glorious future yet to come, with the requirements of holiness fully met in Him.
The Book of Leviticus cannot be "read"; it has to be studied.
THE MOST NEGLECTED BOOK
It may come as a surprise to discover that there are a number of Biblical experts who regard the Book of Leviticus as the most important book of the Bible! (Dr. Samuel H. Kellogg, Dr. Albert C. Dudley, J. Vernon McGee, et al.)
What is The Most Important Thing in the world? Holiness! True happiness begins with holiness (Hebrews 12:14; Matthew 5:6).
"If I had my choice of all the blessings I can conceive of I would choose perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus, or, in one word, holiness." - Charles Spurgeon
Holiness isn't a luxury: it's a necessity. It's not limited to "the Jews in ancient Israel": Leviticus instructs New Testament Christians how to appreciate holiness and appropriate it into their everyday lives. We seem to want Jesus to solve our problems and carry our burdens, but we don't want Him to control our lives and change our character.
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:15, 16
What is "holiness"? It is the primary emphasis in the Bible. This word occurs 87 times in Leviticus alone. The Hebrew word for "holy" used in Leviticus, qodesh, means "that which is set apart and marked off; that which is different; separateness; apartness; sacredness." The English word "holy" comes from the Old English word halig, which means "to be whole, to be healthy." The related word "sanctify" comes from the Latin sanctis, which means "consecrated, sacred, blameless."
Anything that God said was holy had to be treated differently from the common things of life. The Sabbath was holy because God set it apart for His people. The priests were holy because they were set apart to minister to the Lord. Their garments were holy and could not be duplicated for common use. The tithe is holy.
Holiness Revealed
How did a Holy God reveal Himself and His holiness? The pagan religions were notoriously immoral and involved occultic idols, temple prostitution, and the like. God commanded His people to stay away from their altars and shrines and to refuse to learn their ways. You never call any of the heathen deities "holy." But the "Holy One of Israel" is one of the most oft-repeated names of YHWH in Scripture (30 times in Isaiah alone). In both declaration and demonstration, YHWH made it clear to the people of Israel that He is a holy God, righteous in all His works and just in all His judgments. He also gave them a Holy Law that contained both promises and penalties, of which the Ten Commandments are the essence. It taught them right from wrong, defined things both clean and unclean, and declared the penalties of disobedience. There was no "value relativism" here! The requirements of holiness are uncompromising. Near misses don't count. "The wages of sin is death," and "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
God's Predicament
God hates sin, but He loves sinners. And because He loves sinners and wants to forgive them, He provided a substitute to die in the sinner's place. The whole sacrificial system declared to Israel that a substitutionary death would be required to die in the sinner's place. All this was a prefiguring of a promised Savior who would lay down His life for the sins of the world. What is the "Gospel"? It is God's proclamation of a plan of mercy to sinners. The very definition of the "Gospel" is built on these very specifications:
"That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" - 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4
The death of Jesus Christ was not a tragedy; it was an achievement. He didn't just die: He fulfilled the myriads of precise specifications detailed in the Scriptures that pointed toward this most significant event in the universe.
Relevance of This Book to Us Today
Leviticus is the definitive revelation of the character of God. And God has not changed. It is the revelation of the fundamental conditions of true religion. These spiritual truths still abide: there is for sinful man no citizenship in the kingdom of God apart from a High Priest and Mediator with a propitiatory sacrifice for sin. Beyond the self-offering of the worshiper of God stands the constant testimony that it is only through the shedding of blood - not his own - that man can have remission of sin. We can't appreciate Christ as the solution until we understand the requirements which had to be met.
The Epistle to the Hebrews lays down the principles upon which we are to interpret Leviticus. The typical character of the ordinances is affirmed that the Tabernacle was an "example and shadow of the heavenly things"; the sacrifices prefigured "better sacrifices than these," even the one offering of Him who "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; and, that the holy times and sabbatic seasons of the law were "a shadow of things to come."
Still More to Come
We have seen the "type" of the day of atonement fulfilled in the entering into heaven of our great High Priest, but in the type He came out again to bless the people. Has that been fulfilled? Has He yet proclaimed absolution of sin to guilty Israel? How about the Feast of Trumpets and that of the ingathering at full harvest? How about that consummate type of all, the year of Jubilee? Leviticus looks forward to a glorious future yet to come, with the requirements of holiness fully met in Him.
The Book of Leviticus cannot be "read"; it has to be studied.
The Danger Of Wilful Sin
This was the devotional reading for today from Days of Praise, the daily devotional publication of the Institute For Creation Research. I thought it was a good reminder for all of us.
The Danger of Wilful Sin
"Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him" (Numbers 15:31).
Under the Mosaic law, there was ample provision for forgiveness of sins committed unintentionally. "If any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, . . . and it shall be forgiven him" (Numbers 15:27-28). However, as in our text, it was altogether different for one who deliberately disobeyed God's law. One who would so despise God's commandment was to be put to death.
In this Christian dispensation, many would say that this harshness of God's law has been replaced by His love. There is abundant pardon for all, since Jesus died for all our sins. Now, all we need is to confess our sins, and He will forgive us (I John 1:9). But "if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, . . . He that despiseth Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?" (Hebrews 10:26, 28-29).
Even assuming this warning applies specifically only to those who have wilfully renounced faith in Christ, the question still remains whether one with true saving faith will wilfully sin against the known will of God, as revealed in His Word. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4). Only God knows the heart, but those "Christians" who deliberately reject and disobey His Word should at least "examine [them]selves, whether [they] be in the faith" (II Corinthians 13:5).
Henry M Morris
The Danger of Wilful Sin
"Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him" (Numbers 15:31).
Under the Mosaic law, there was ample provision for forgiveness of sins committed unintentionally. "If any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, . . . and it shall be forgiven him" (Numbers 15:27-28). However, as in our text, it was altogether different for one who deliberately disobeyed God's law. One who would so despise God's commandment was to be put to death.
In this Christian dispensation, many would say that this harshness of God's law has been replaced by His love. There is abundant pardon for all, since Jesus died for all our sins. Now, all we need is to confess our sins, and He will forgive us (I John 1:9). But "if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, . . . He that despiseth Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?" (Hebrews 10:26, 28-29).
Even assuming this warning applies specifically only to those who have wilfully renounced faith in Christ, the question still remains whether one with true saving faith will wilfully sin against the known will of God, as revealed in His Word. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4). Only God knows the heart, but those "Christians" who deliberately reject and disobey His Word should at least "examine [them]selves, whether [they] be in the faith" (II Corinthians 13:5).
Henry M Morris
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
What Value Torah?
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (Amplified) And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the above quoted scripture passage, the "sacred Writings" mentioned here refers to the Old Testament, what the Jews call the "Tanack." Included in the Tanack are the 5 books of Moses (known as the Torah), the Prophets and the Writings. So let's think about what Paul is saying to his protege Timothy here: from Timothy's childhood, he was been taught the sacred Writings, the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul here tells us that these Scriptures are able to instruct Timothy and give him understanding for the salvation that is to be found in Yeshua the Messiah. NOT the Gospel accounts of Yeshua's life, NOT John 3:16, but the Old Testament Scriptures! Just maybe all of us "New Testament Christians" ought to take another look at the Old Testament Scriptures and find out what we've been missing! Here are Yeshua's own words:
John 5:46-47 (Amplified) For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe and rely on Me, for he wrote about Me [personally]. But if you do not believe and trust his writings, how then will you believe and trust My teachings? [How shall you cleave to and rely on My words?]
It seems to me that there IS value in studying the Torah, in fact all of the Old Testament, and teaching it to our children, as God originally commanded in those same Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (Amplified) Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord].
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
What else did Paul say the Scriptures were useful or profitable for? I count 5 things:
1) instruction
2) reproof and conviction of sin
3) correction of error
4) discipline in obedience
5) training in righteousness
For what purpose? Paul says, so that we may be 1) complete, 2) proficient, 3) well fitted, and 4) thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Have you taken a good look at our society lately, even the society within the context of the Christian church here in the West? Evil prospers. Wickedness is considered acceptable and even laudable. There is little or no difference in divorce rates within and without the church. Unwed women are having babies and no one even bats an eye any more. Couples are living together without the benefit of marriage and it's just par for the course. We sanction the murder of our unborn children. We stand on the brink of marriage between one man and one woman, as ordained by Almighty God in the very beginning of His creation, becoming a mockery as homosexual couples demand the right to be "married" in the eyes of the law also. Sexual perversions abound and must be tolerated unless you want to be accused of hate crimes. Even those in the highest positions of authority and responsibility in this land seem to have forgotten what honesty and integrity look like. Good is evil and evil is good. We have a whole generation of young people now who do not understand "right" or "wrong"; there are no moral absolutes left.
The Ten Commandments, what are those? Never heard of them! ~ Why shouldn't we steal if we see something we want but we can't pay for it or it belongs to someone else?~ What's wrong with cheating on our tests at school?~ Why do we need to be honest when we file our income taxes?~ We're only telling "little white lies."~ Yeah, so they gave me back too much change at the store, so what? Their loss is my gain.~ Why shouldn't I sue that business for my broken leg? Who cares if I was breaking in to steal from them and fell through their window in the process?
You know, maybe, just maybe if the Christian Church and the Jewish synagogue were still teaching the Torah, the Commandments of Almighty God, we wouldn't be in such a mess! Yes, I know that there are a lot of preachers and rabbis out there who ARE teaching God's righteous requirements for living, but if we are honest, there are an awful lot of others who are preaching to satisfy itching ears and open pocketbooks and to keep the pews filled so the church board will be happy with them. If you attend a Christian Church here in the United States, when is the last time you listened to a sermon that really convicted you of the sin in your heart & life and drew you to repentance--genuine repentance which is not just being sorry for your sin, but confessing it to the LORD and turning AWAY from it? Seems that a lot of sermons are given to topics that will make us feel good and leave the church service happy with our pastor.
Listen to what Paul says again:
Romans 7:7 (Amplified) What then do we conclude? Is the Law identical with sin? Certainly not! Nevertheless, if it had not been for the Law, I should not have recognized sin or have known its meaning. [For instance] I would not have known about covetousness [would have had no consciousness of sin or sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, You shall not covet and have an evil desire [for one thing and another]. [Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5:21.]
That matches one of those 5 purposes for the Scriptures that Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 3:16. I don't know what value you place on the Old Testament Scriptures, but I can tell you with all honesty that I am finding it to be a joy & a delight and that I love God's Holy Word. About two years ago now I began to read and study the Torah each week, following the traditional weekly Parashah readings, looking at it as God's own words to ME, not just as ancient Jewish history and applicable only to the Jews. I have been continually amazed at the lessons the LORD, through His Holy Spirit, is teaching me. It has truly been a blessing beyond compare as I have grown in my faith, in maturity in spiritual understanding, and in understanding how to live righteously with God & man, walking in those good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10). As I continue to study to show myself approved, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, I have continued to grow in His grace and knowledge of Him. And I am finding instruction, reproof & conviction of sin, correction of error, discipline in obedience, and training in righteousness.
Psalm 119:97 Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. [Ps. 1:2.]
In the above quoted scripture passage, the "sacred Writings" mentioned here refers to the Old Testament, what the Jews call the "Tanack." Included in the Tanack are the 5 books of Moses (known as the Torah), the Prophets and the Writings. So let's think about what Paul is saying to his protege Timothy here: from Timothy's childhood, he was been taught the sacred Writings, the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul here tells us that these Scriptures are able to instruct Timothy and give him understanding for the salvation that is to be found in Yeshua the Messiah. NOT the Gospel accounts of Yeshua's life, NOT John 3:16, but the Old Testament Scriptures! Just maybe all of us "New Testament Christians" ought to take another look at the Old Testament Scriptures and find out what we've been missing! Here are Yeshua's own words:
John 5:46-47 (Amplified) For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe and rely on Me, for he wrote about Me [personally]. But if you do not believe and trust his writings, how then will you believe and trust My teachings? [How shall you cleave to and rely on My words?]
It seems to me that there IS value in studying the Torah, in fact all of the Old Testament, and teaching it to our children, as God originally commanded in those same Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (Amplified) Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord].
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
What else did Paul say the Scriptures were useful or profitable for? I count 5 things:
1) instruction
2) reproof and conviction of sin
3) correction of error
4) discipline in obedience
5) training in righteousness
For what purpose? Paul says, so that we may be 1) complete, 2) proficient, 3) well fitted, and 4) thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Have you taken a good look at our society lately, even the society within the context of the Christian church here in the West? Evil prospers. Wickedness is considered acceptable and even laudable. There is little or no difference in divorce rates within and without the church. Unwed women are having babies and no one even bats an eye any more. Couples are living together without the benefit of marriage and it's just par for the course. We sanction the murder of our unborn children. We stand on the brink of marriage between one man and one woman, as ordained by Almighty God in the very beginning of His creation, becoming a mockery as homosexual couples demand the right to be "married" in the eyes of the law also. Sexual perversions abound and must be tolerated unless you want to be accused of hate crimes. Even those in the highest positions of authority and responsibility in this land seem to have forgotten what honesty and integrity look like. Good is evil and evil is good. We have a whole generation of young people now who do not understand "right" or "wrong"; there are no moral absolutes left.
The Ten Commandments, what are those? Never heard of them! ~ Why shouldn't we steal if we see something we want but we can't pay for it or it belongs to someone else?~ What's wrong with cheating on our tests at school?~ Why do we need to be honest when we file our income taxes?~ We're only telling "little white lies."~ Yeah, so they gave me back too much change at the store, so what? Their loss is my gain.~ Why shouldn't I sue that business for my broken leg? Who cares if I was breaking in to steal from them and fell through their window in the process?
You know, maybe, just maybe if the Christian Church and the Jewish synagogue were still teaching the Torah, the Commandments of Almighty God, we wouldn't be in such a mess! Yes, I know that there are a lot of preachers and rabbis out there who ARE teaching God's righteous requirements for living, but if we are honest, there are an awful lot of others who are preaching to satisfy itching ears and open pocketbooks and to keep the pews filled so the church board will be happy with them. If you attend a Christian Church here in the United States, when is the last time you listened to a sermon that really convicted you of the sin in your heart & life and drew you to repentance--genuine repentance which is not just being sorry for your sin, but confessing it to the LORD and turning AWAY from it? Seems that a lot of sermons are given to topics that will make us feel good and leave the church service happy with our pastor.
Listen to what Paul says again:
Romans 7:7 (Amplified) What then do we conclude? Is the Law identical with sin? Certainly not! Nevertheless, if it had not been for the Law, I should not have recognized sin or have known its meaning. [For instance] I would not have known about covetousness [would have had no consciousness of sin or sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, You shall not covet and have an evil desire [for one thing and another]. [Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5:21.]
That matches one of those 5 purposes for the Scriptures that Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 3:16. I don't know what value you place on the Old Testament Scriptures, but I can tell you with all honesty that I am finding it to be a joy & a delight and that I love God's Holy Word. About two years ago now I began to read and study the Torah each week, following the traditional weekly Parashah readings, looking at it as God's own words to ME, not just as ancient Jewish history and applicable only to the Jews. I have been continually amazed at the lessons the LORD, through His Holy Spirit, is teaching me. It has truly been a blessing beyond compare as I have grown in my faith, in maturity in spiritual understanding, and in understanding how to live righteously with God & man, walking in those good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10). As I continue to study to show myself approved, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, I have continued to grow in His grace and knowledge of Him. And I am finding instruction, reproof & conviction of sin, correction of error, discipline in obedience, and training in righteousness.
Psalm 119:97 Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day. [Ps. 1:2.]
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Ye Must Be Born Again
I work at night, on third shift which is from 11 pm til 7 am. I work in a plastics molding factory and am often assigned to repetitive jobs where I am working primarily by myself. I don't mind that as it gives me lots of time for prayer and meditation. One night while I was thinking and meditating on some things, I had one of those "Ah Ha!" moments.
I was thinking about those who have chosen to follow the homosexual lifestyle. Often we hear homosexuals state that they should be accepted as they are because they were born that way. I don't know whether or not a person can be born with a specific sexual orientation. I haven't read all the studies that have been done on this. I only know what God has said about it in the Bible and what my own intuition tells me.
Leviticus 18:22 (Amplified) You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination. [I Cor. 6:9, 10.]
Leviticus 20:13 (Amplified) If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
I do NOT stand in judgment over any one who is following the homosexual lifestyle, whatever their reasons for doing so. The Word tells me:
John 8:7 ...Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone...
I am not without plenty of my own sins so I am in no position to throw stones. And in truth, there is not one of us who is without sin and worthy to throw stones at another. There's only One Who is holy and righteous and without sin--the Son of God, Yeshua the Messiah. And He said, "Neither do I condemn you." (John 8:11)
John 3:17 (Amplified) For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
We have all been "born in sin," whatever that sin might be. When you think about it like that, then yes, the person who is a homosexual was "born" that way. But here's the "Ah Ha" moment: that's why Yeshua said that we must be born again! When we are born again, through believing in the sacrifice of Yeshua in our place, to bear the condemnation for our sin, then the Word says that we become new creatures in the Messiah; the old things are passed away and all things are become new. We will still have to battle the sinful inclinations of our flesh, but we have the mighty strength of the LORD indwelling us to help us die to our flesh and live for Him. Now that's Good News!
I was thinking about those who have chosen to follow the homosexual lifestyle. Often we hear homosexuals state that they should be accepted as they are because they were born that way. I don't know whether or not a person can be born with a specific sexual orientation. I haven't read all the studies that have been done on this. I only know what God has said about it in the Bible and what my own intuition tells me.
Leviticus 18:22 (Amplified) You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination. [I Cor. 6:9, 10.]
Leviticus 20:13 (Amplified) If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent, and detestable); they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
I do NOT stand in judgment over any one who is following the homosexual lifestyle, whatever their reasons for doing so. The Word tells me:
John 8:7 ...Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone...
I am not without plenty of my own sins so I am in no position to throw stones. And in truth, there is not one of us who is without sin and worthy to throw stones at another. There's only One Who is holy and righteous and without sin--the Son of God, Yeshua the Messiah. And He said, "Neither do I condemn you." (John 8:11)
John 3:17 (Amplified) For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
We have all been "born in sin," whatever that sin might be. When you think about it like that, then yes, the person who is a homosexual was "born" that way. But here's the "Ah Ha" moment: that's why Yeshua said that we must be born again! When we are born again, through believing in the sacrifice of Yeshua in our place, to bear the condemnation for our sin, then the Word says that we become new creatures in the Messiah; the old things are passed away and all things are become new. We will still have to battle the sinful inclinations of our flesh, but we have the mighty strength of the LORD indwelling us to help us die to our flesh and live for Him. Now that's Good News!
Keeping The Law
Here's another daily devotional from Days of Praise devotional, published by the Institute For Creation Research. I have highlighted a couple of sentences that I want to remember.
Keeping The Law
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
The law of God, centered in the Ten Commandments, is "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12) and expresses perfectly the will of God for holy living. "The man that doeth them shall live in them" (Galatians 3:12).
The problem is that no man can possibly do them all. A man may keep most of the commandments most of the time, but he will inevitably fail in some of them some of the time. Since the law is a divine unit, breaking any commandment--as our text reminds us--breaks the whole law, bringing the guilty one under God's curse of death. "Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10). "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no lfesh be justified in His sight" (Romans 3:20).
All men, having sinned against God's law, are therefore lost and in urgent need of salvation. There is where God's wonderful grace comes in. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,...Even the righteousness...which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (Romans 3:21-22), "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He kept the law for us, and bore its curse for us: Thus we are saved through trusting Him.
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid" (Romans 6:1-2). We now desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3). We are now able to keep them, because His Spirit now lives in us, and we are "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
Henry M Morris
Keeping The Law
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
The law of God, centered in the Ten Commandments, is "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12) and expresses perfectly the will of God for holy living. "The man that doeth them shall live in them" (Galatians 3:12).
The problem is that no man can possibly do them all. A man may keep most of the commandments most of the time, but he will inevitably fail in some of them some of the time. Since the law is a divine unit, breaking any commandment--as our text reminds us--breaks the whole law, bringing the guilty one under God's curse of death. "Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10). "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no lfesh be justified in His sight" (Romans 3:20).
All men, having sinned against God's law, are therefore lost and in urgent need of salvation. There is where God's wonderful grace comes in. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,...Even the righteousness...which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (Romans 3:21-22), "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He kept the law for us, and bore its curse for us: Thus we are saved through trusting Him.
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid" (Romans 6:1-2). We now desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3). We are now able to keep them, because His Spirit now lives in us, and we are "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
Henry M Morris
Friday, July 14, 2006
Is My Light Shining?
Last night at work was an emotional downer, I guess I'd have to say. The company I work for fired two of its 6 team leaders yesterday/last night. I also found out that one young couple who've been living together for a couple of years and have a 9 month old baby boy have now split up; they were supposed to get married in September. There's another couple with a baby about the same age that had been living together though not married to each other that also recently split up. One of the young women I work with, a gal almost 21 years old and an aunt to that 9 month old baby boy previously mentioned, said how surprised she was to realize how many single parents work at our factory; she'd never stopped to think about it until it was her brother and nephew who were among the statistics. I also learned last night that one of the men I've worked with, who's been with the company for 21 years, has submitted his resignation and leaves at the end of next week. Another man who I've been working with told me this week that he'll be leaving the end of next week, too, to move out of state. I am going to miss talking to him; we have so many life experiences and interests in common, and he's just a very interesting person generally.
Thinking about all the ones who have left or are leaving and those who I continue to work with every week, made me wonder if I am having any impact on them for the LORD. Does knowing me make any positive difference in their lives? Do they see anything different in me or about me? Will the man who's moving out of state, with whom I have had several very interesting conversations, remember me after he's been gone 3 months, 6 months, a year? And if he does remember me at all, what will he remember? Will he remember me as a woman of integrity, of compassion, of mercy, of encouraging words, with a smiling face and a friendly greeting? Will he have seen Yeshua in me?
One of those mottos that I enjoy collecting, that I've had for many long years, says: Jesus Makes A Difference. Does my relationship with Yeshua make a difference in me that others can see? Do I lift up Yeshua in my words, my actions, my attitudes, my body language, etc? Am I letting my light shine?
Matthew 5:16 (Amplified) Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.
I'm not sure how to gauge what kind of impact I am having on the people I live and work with, if any, but I can recommit myself to walking in integrity and letting my light shine, walking in the same way that Yeshua walked.
Thinking about all the ones who have left or are leaving and those who I continue to work with every week, made me wonder if I am having any impact on them for the LORD. Does knowing me make any positive difference in their lives? Do they see anything different in me or about me? Will the man who's moving out of state, with whom I have had several very interesting conversations, remember me after he's been gone 3 months, 6 months, a year? And if he does remember me at all, what will he remember? Will he remember me as a woman of integrity, of compassion, of mercy, of encouraging words, with a smiling face and a friendly greeting? Will he have seen Yeshua in me?
One of those mottos that I enjoy collecting, that I've had for many long years, says: Jesus Makes A Difference. Does my relationship with Yeshua make a difference in me that others can see? Do I lift up Yeshua in my words, my actions, my attitudes, my body language, etc? Am I letting my light shine?
Matthew 5:16 (Amplified) Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.
I'm not sure how to gauge what kind of impact I am having on the people I live and work with, if any, but I can recommit myself to walking in integrity and letting my light shine, walking in the same way that Yeshua walked.
Monday, July 10, 2006
The Oracles of God
In my devotional reading today, this was the day's entry in the Days of Praise devotional which I receive from the Institute for Creation Research. I wanted to share it here cause it really confirmed some things for me. May you be blessed!
THE ORACLES OF GOD
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:1-2)
Although God loves all the world (John 3:16), it became necessary for Him to choose one nation through which He would convey His Word to all nations. The Jews therefore were given the high honor of bringing both the written Word and the living Word into the world. With such privileges, they also must bear great responsibility; yet most modern-day Jews deny both the inspiration of the Bible and the incarnate deity of Christ. Nevertheless, as the next verses point out: "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid" (Romans 3:3-4).
This phrase, "oracles of God," occurs just three times in the New Testament. The word "oracles" (Greek, logion) was understood by the Greeks of that day to refer to actual supernatural utterances given by a spirit through a human medium. Thus, as used in our text, it indicates that the Old Testament should be regarded as nothing less than verbally inspired by God.
Then, in Hebrews 5:12, there is emphasis on the importance of "the first principles of the oracles of God," rebuking those believers who have neglected to learn even the foundational truths of the inerrant Scriptures.
Lastly, the phrase is used in 1 Peter 4:11: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." In context, the apostle is urging anyone with the spiritual gift of teaching to see that his teaching conforms fully to the words of God as revealed in Scripture.
One other time the word "oracles" is used when Moses "received the lively oracles to give unto us" (Acts 7:38). Thus the first five books of the Bible are especially singled out as the "living words" of God!
Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
THE ORACLES OF GOD
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:1-2)
Although God loves all the world (John 3:16), it became necessary for Him to choose one nation through which He would convey His Word to all nations. The Jews therefore were given the high honor of bringing both the written Word and the living Word into the world. With such privileges, they also must bear great responsibility; yet most modern-day Jews deny both the inspiration of the Bible and the incarnate deity of Christ. Nevertheless, as the next verses point out: "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid" (Romans 3:3-4).
This phrase, "oracles of God," occurs just three times in the New Testament. The word "oracles" (Greek, logion) was understood by the Greeks of that day to refer to actual supernatural utterances given by a spirit through a human medium. Thus, as used in our text, it indicates that the Old Testament should be regarded as nothing less than verbally inspired by God.
Then, in Hebrews 5:12, there is emphasis on the importance of "the first principles of the oracles of God," rebuking those believers who have neglected to learn even the foundational truths of the inerrant Scriptures.
Lastly, the phrase is used in 1 Peter 4:11: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." In context, the apostle is urging anyone with the spiritual gift of teaching to see that his teaching conforms fully to the words of God as revealed in Scripture.
One other time the word "oracles" is used when Moses "received the lively oracles to give unto us" (Acts 7:38). Thus the first five books of the Bible are especially singled out as the "living words" of God!
Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Scripture Interprets Scripture
One of the things I want to communicate to my daughter and to anyone who's reading and studying the Bible is that scripture interprets scripture. We can't pull a verse out of Romans and decide that it means 'this' if that meaning doesn't line up with Yeshua's own words in the gospel accounts or if that meaning doesn't line up with scriptures from the Old Testament. Paul would never have contradicted Yeshua or the Old Testament writings. Neither would Peter or James or John. Therefore, if a verse in the Apostolic Scriptures seems to negate the Torah, we'd better double-check our interpretation of it. Either Paul is a deceiver or we've misinterpreted a lot of his writings, because Paul could not have written that the Torah has been done away with since Yeshua said that it had not (Matthew 5:17-19). Paul's enemies accused him of not teaching Torah, whereas he said that he was innocent of their charges, which would mean that he did teach Torah. I think that there are a lot of things written in the New Testament that we do not correctly interpret because we forget to look at these things in context: historically, culturally, and scripturally--with the only Scriptures at that time being the Old Testament, i.e. the Law and the Prophets. I think Paul would be very surprised at the interpretation the Christian Church has put on his writings, divorcing itself from all things "Jewish". I think Paul's expectation was that Gentiles who came to faith in the Messiah would be added to Israel, not replace Israel. More another day...
The Assurance of Our Salvation
When I last posted, I shared about the situation that has developed between me and my eldest daughter & her husband. They gave me a book that they wanted me to read, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die by John Piper. I am not a big fan of John Piper, though he does have some good stuff in print. (I am not a big fan of any man or ministry; everything has to be tested and must line up with God's Holy Word.) I read the book, noting in particular all the places that they had highlighted, and made notes on paper that I will be sharing with them, giving them my thoughts about what I read. I got the impression that they are concerned that I have thrown away my salvation based on the blood of Yeshua and am somehow trusting in my keeping the Torah to save me. Nothing could be further from the truth and so I have shared with them in a long letter. I would also like to share with them the following article: The Assurance of Our Salvation by John K McKee at TNN Online (http://www.tnnonline.net/theonews/salvation/assurance-of/index.html). It is such a good article that I wanted to share it here, too. It's well worth the time it takes to click on the link and read it. And just maybe it will reassure some of you who've been reading this and think I've gone off the deep end or who've been having questions of your own. I pray that you will be blessed, as I have been. Shalom!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Though None Go With Me
I know I've shared in previous posts about the chorus I sang when I accepted Yeshua as my Savior, way back when I was 17 yrs old. "I have decided to follow Jesus...no turning back, no turning back." This morning I am thinking about another verse to that chorus which says, "Though none go with me, still I will follow...no turning back, no turning back."
I am blessed to be the mother of 6 children whom I love dearly and endeavored to bring up in the "nurture and admonition of the LORD." To that end, we were in church every time there was a service. When my 2nd daughter was born, she arrived on a Wednesday. We were in church on Sunday, as usual, and I was going forward that Sunday to become an official member of that congregation--an Assemblies of God, as it happens. Every one of my children began their life in the church. Each one was dedicated to the LORD, as Hannah did with her son Samuel. Of my precious children, I know without a doubt that my three oldest, daughters Venetta, Lois, and Holly, all have solid relationships with the LORD and strive to live their lives to please Him, along with their families. My 4th child, my daughter Megan, knows the LORD and had committed her life to Him when she was a teen, but she married an unbeliever and has fallen away from the closeness I would see her know with the LORD. My youngest two, daughter Thea and son Isaac, have chosen to walk the way of the world and have left God out of their lives, though Thea is more obviously still pulled in that direction. My heart desires above all else for each of my children that they will know the LORD and His salvation and the power of His resurrection at work in their hearts & lives. Hard on the heels of that desire is the desire that they would love His Word and walk in all of His ways with all of their hearts.
About two years ago, when my sweetheart Tim & I decided to withdraw our membership in the Assemblies of God--after 25 years of membership in that denomination for me, we left behind my eldest daughter and her husband who are still in that fellowship. They have not understood our desire to walk in ALL the ways of Yeshua, by keeping the Biblical Sabbath, the commanded festivals, the food laws, and other aspects of Torah. They are convinced, because of teaching they have received within the church, that we have thrown away our confidence in the blood of Yeshua for our salvation and are now trusting in our "works" to save us, that we have fallen prey to the "Judaizers" and now have our trust in the flesh and the works of the flesh. Nothing could be further from the truth, but it seems that no matter what I say or what I try to share with them, they refuse to see that it IS possible to have faith in the shed blood of our LORD Yeshua the Messiah for salvation AND walk in obedience to His commandments--NOT because I HAVE to, but because I LOVE Him and I WANT to!!! I am NOT telling them what they have to do, that they have to make the same choices of obedience that I am making. As hard as it is, I am keeping my mouth shut about that and letting the Holy Spirit lead, guide & teach them, just as He has done with me. Nevertheless, it grieves my heart that there is this discord between my eldest daughter, her husband and us. There isn't a lot said, but the tension is thick enough to be cut with a knife. And this morning it weighs especially heavy on my heart! I have always hated being at odds with one or the other of my children. I thought it was hard when they went through the teen years and we found ourselves at odds many times, though my eldest daughter and I had never been at odds, til now. I find that it is especially upsetting when it concerns our walk of faith and fellowship in the Messiah. We believe in the same God, the same blood shed on the cross at Calvary for our redemption, the same LORD & Savior, the same Bible, the same Holy Spirit, but because I have chosen to obey the Torah, the written commandments of God my Father, out of my love for Him and to bring Him pleasure by my willing obedience, as my Savior Yeshua the Messiah did, now there is a wall of separation between my daughter and I.
Question: if my obedience to the Torah means that I have automatically "thrown away" my salvation and am now striving to be "saved" by my works of the flesh, then what about those first believers in the Messiah, who still believed in keeping Torah, as even the Apostle Paul did? The first believers in Messiah still kept Torah and still taught Torah. It was only later, as the "church" became filled with Gentiles and persecution against the Jews became so great, that the "church" disassociated itself with all things "Jewish", including Torah observance. Maybe we should pay more attention to the words of Yeshua Himself in Matthew 5:17-20 (Amplified): Do not think that I have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook [identifying certain Hebrew letters] will pass from the Law until all things [it foreshadows] are accomplished. Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. I don't know about you, but that seems pretty clear to me that Yeshua still expected people to teach the Torah and to obey it--NOT for salvation, but because the Torah teaches the proper outworking of our faith and the works of righteousness that are to accompany our faith. So even though my fellowship with my daughter and son-in-law is currently broken and it's grieving my heart, I will continue to follow my LORD in faithful obedience to ALL of His Word. Though none-- not even the people who are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, whom I love most dearly in all the earth--go with me, STILL I will follow, NO turning back!
I am blessed to be the mother of 6 children whom I love dearly and endeavored to bring up in the "nurture and admonition of the LORD." To that end, we were in church every time there was a service. When my 2nd daughter was born, she arrived on a Wednesday. We were in church on Sunday, as usual, and I was going forward that Sunday to become an official member of that congregation--an Assemblies of God, as it happens. Every one of my children began their life in the church. Each one was dedicated to the LORD, as Hannah did with her son Samuel. Of my precious children, I know without a doubt that my three oldest, daughters Venetta, Lois, and Holly, all have solid relationships with the LORD and strive to live their lives to please Him, along with their families. My 4th child, my daughter Megan, knows the LORD and had committed her life to Him when she was a teen, but she married an unbeliever and has fallen away from the closeness I would see her know with the LORD. My youngest two, daughter Thea and son Isaac, have chosen to walk the way of the world and have left God out of their lives, though Thea is more obviously still pulled in that direction. My heart desires above all else for each of my children that they will know the LORD and His salvation and the power of His resurrection at work in their hearts & lives. Hard on the heels of that desire is the desire that they would love His Word and walk in all of His ways with all of their hearts.
About two years ago, when my sweetheart Tim & I decided to withdraw our membership in the Assemblies of God--after 25 years of membership in that denomination for me, we left behind my eldest daughter and her husband who are still in that fellowship. They have not understood our desire to walk in ALL the ways of Yeshua, by keeping the Biblical Sabbath, the commanded festivals, the food laws, and other aspects of Torah. They are convinced, because of teaching they have received within the church, that we have thrown away our confidence in the blood of Yeshua for our salvation and are now trusting in our "works" to save us, that we have fallen prey to the "Judaizers" and now have our trust in the flesh and the works of the flesh. Nothing could be further from the truth, but it seems that no matter what I say or what I try to share with them, they refuse to see that it IS possible to have faith in the shed blood of our LORD Yeshua the Messiah for salvation AND walk in obedience to His commandments--NOT because I HAVE to, but because I LOVE Him and I WANT to!!! I am NOT telling them what they have to do, that they have to make the same choices of obedience that I am making. As hard as it is, I am keeping my mouth shut about that and letting the Holy Spirit lead, guide & teach them, just as He has done with me. Nevertheless, it grieves my heart that there is this discord between my eldest daughter, her husband and us. There isn't a lot said, but the tension is thick enough to be cut with a knife. And this morning it weighs especially heavy on my heart! I have always hated being at odds with one or the other of my children. I thought it was hard when they went through the teen years and we found ourselves at odds many times, though my eldest daughter and I had never been at odds, til now. I find that it is especially upsetting when it concerns our walk of faith and fellowship in the Messiah. We believe in the same God, the same blood shed on the cross at Calvary for our redemption, the same LORD & Savior, the same Bible, the same Holy Spirit, but because I have chosen to obey the Torah, the written commandments of God my Father, out of my love for Him and to bring Him pleasure by my willing obedience, as my Savior Yeshua the Messiah did, now there is a wall of separation between my daughter and I.
Question: if my obedience to the Torah means that I have automatically "thrown away" my salvation and am now striving to be "saved" by my works of the flesh, then what about those first believers in the Messiah, who still believed in keeping Torah, as even the Apostle Paul did? The first believers in Messiah still kept Torah and still taught Torah. It was only later, as the "church" became filled with Gentiles and persecution against the Jews became so great, that the "church" disassociated itself with all things "Jewish", including Torah observance. Maybe we should pay more attention to the words of Yeshua Himself in Matthew 5:17-20 (Amplified): Do not think that I have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until the sky and earth pass away and perish, not one smallest letter nor one little hook [identifying certain Hebrew letters] will pass from the Law until all things [it foreshadows] are accomplished. Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven, but he who practices them and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. I don't know about you, but that seems pretty clear to me that Yeshua still expected people to teach the Torah and to obey it--NOT for salvation, but because the Torah teaches the proper outworking of our faith and the works of righteousness that are to accompany our faith. So even though my fellowship with my daughter and son-in-law is currently broken and it's grieving my heart, I will continue to follow my LORD in faithful obedience to ALL of His Word. Though none-- not even the people who are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, whom I love most dearly in all the earth--go with me, STILL I will follow, NO turning back!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
How Much Do I Love Him?
I've been saving neat one-liners for much of my adult life. One that I've kept and have never forgotten says, You only love Jesus as much as the one you love the least. There's lots of food for thought in that saying! Put that together with a book I finished reading lately and it opens up a whole kettle of thoughts! The book was titled, A Season Of Grace, written by Bette Nordberg. It's Christian fiction and is one of those stories that I hope to always remember. It's the story of brother & sister twins who are now in their early 40's. Life's circumstances have separated them for over 6 years but they reconnect in the story, which covers the remaining days of the brother's life. See, the sister is a Christian, while her brother is not and has been living the homosexual lifestyle, then gets HIV and is dying of AIDS when they reconnect. The challenge for the sister and her family is to love him just as he is, unconditionally, even though they cannot condone the lifestyle he'd lived. The brother comes to live with them at the sister's insistence and lives out the remainder of his life in the bosom of his family.
It made me stop and think if I could love someone like that as much, that I would welcome them into my home and care for them. I will probably never be faced with such a choice, but there are other such choices that I face regularly. Working in the public, in a factory, I rub shoulders with people with all sorts of values and belief systems. I've known a couple of people who are or were in the homosexual lifestyle. There've been those who are serving time in the county jail and work with us on Huber privileges. There's been at least one sex offender working with us. How am I going to respond to these people? Will I love them unconditionally, with the love of our LORD, or will I turn away from them because of what they've done, how they are living, or because their values & beliefs are so contrary to mine?
In most of my posts, I know I've talked a lot about the place and importance of observing Torah in my walk with the LORD. Did you realize that the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" actually originated in the Old Testament, in the Torah? Well, it did! Check your concordance for the exact location. (I'm short on time so am not going to do it for you this time.)
Yeshua told us to love one another as He loved us. That's a tall order! He knows every ugly, despicable thing about me, everything I've ever thought or said or done that was a sin against Him, and STILL He loves me! His mercies are new every morning. His steadfast love never ceases. As He told the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." He took all of my sins on His own body and paid the penalty for me, that I might go free. Knowing that, how can I NOT love my fellow man? We are ALL sinners; there is not one of us who is qualified to throw the first stone at another person. That doesn't mean that we accept and endorse sin, but that we identify people as persons rather than by their particular sin. I don't want to be known as "Cindy the gossip" or "Cindy the lier" or whatever other sins I've committed. I am NOT a plaster saint and I have definitely committed my share of sins, so don't be thinking that I couldn't possibly have anything as awful in my past as some of the people I've mentioned. Not to mention that in the Bible there's no list of sins going from bad to worst; all sin is sin and the wages of any & all sin is death.
So just how much do I love Yeshua? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to the homosexual I work with? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to men & women behind prison bars, regardless of the crimes that have put them there? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to the homeless person lying on the sidewalk who smells and looks disgusting? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to that angry teen with weird body piercings and a foul mouth? I think you get the idea here. Yeshua said that when we reach out in love to another, as we have done it unto the least of these His brethren, we have done it unto Him. That also goes for people outside our ethnic and cultural background. Do I love Him enough to put my money where my mouth is and help those who are less fortunate than myself, even if they happen to live on the other side of the world? Just how much do I love Him? How much do YOU love Him?
It made me stop and think if I could love someone like that as much, that I would welcome them into my home and care for them. I will probably never be faced with such a choice, but there are other such choices that I face regularly. Working in the public, in a factory, I rub shoulders with people with all sorts of values and belief systems. I've known a couple of people who are or were in the homosexual lifestyle. There've been those who are serving time in the county jail and work with us on Huber privileges. There's been at least one sex offender working with us. How am I going to respond to these people? Will I love them unconditionally, with the love of our LORD, or will I turn away from them because of what they've done, how they are living, or because their values & beliefs are so contrary to mine?
In most of my posts, I know I've talked a lot about the place and importance of observing Torah in my walk with the LORD. Did you realize that the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" actually originated in the Old Testament, in the Torah? Well, it did! Check your concordance for the exact location. (I'm short on time so am not going to do it for you this time.)
Yeshua told us to love one another as He loved us. That's a tall order! He knows every ugly, despicable thing about me, everything I've ever thought or said or done that was a sin against Him, and STILL He loves me! His mercies are new every morning. His steadfast love never ceases. As He told the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." He took all of my sins on His own body and paid the penalty for me, that I might go free. Knowing that, how can I NOT love my fellow man? We are ALL sinners; there is not one of us who is qualified to throw the first stone at another person. That doesn't mean that we accept and endorse sin, but that we identify people as persons rather than by their particular sin. I don't want to be known as "Cindy the gossip" or "Cindy the lier" or whatever other sins I've committed. I am NOT a plaster saint and I have definitely committed my share of sins, so don't be thinking that I couldn't possibly have anything as awful in my past as some of the people I've mentioned. Not to mention that in the Bible there's no list of sins going from bad to worst; all sin is sin and the wages of any & all sin is death.
So just how much do I love Yeshua? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to the homosexual I work with? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to men & women behind prison bars, regardless of the crimes that have put them there? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to the homeless person lying on the sidewalk who smells and looks disgusting? Do I love Him enough to reach out in love to that angry teen with weird body piercings and a foul mouth? I think you get the idea here. Yeshua said that when we reach out in love to another, as we have done it unto the least of these His brethren, we have done it unto Him. That also goes for people outside our ethnic and cultural background. Do I love Him enough to put my money where my mouth is and help those who are less fortunate than myself, even if they happen to live on the other side of the world? Just how much do I love Him? How much do YOU love Him?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Yeshua or Torah?
In looking back at some of my posts, I thought I'd better take a few minutes to make one thing crystal clear here, just in case there's any doubt. My goal in this journey of faith is to follow Yeshua, to be like Him. Learning about Torah, about Sabbath keeping and the festivals of God, all of that is important only in that it helps me to know Him better and to follow Him more closely.
You've probably heard some preacher somewhere say that "Jesus is the Word made flesh." Well actually, that is in scripture, too: John 1:14 (Amplified) And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.] The Word of God includes ALL of His Word, not just the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. So it would be appropriate to say that Yeshua is the Torah made flesh. Through His life and teaching, we learn how to live out the holiness that God commands us to walk in, which was first commanded in the Torah. If you don't believe me, look up these verses: Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7, 26, 21:6,8; Numbers 15:40, 16:5; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 21, 26:19, 28:9. They sound surprisingly like 1 Peter 1:14-16! It's amazing how many things in the New Testament can be found FIRST in the Old Testament; there's really nothing "new" at all about the New Testament or anything "old" about the Old Testament. The New Testament builds on the Old Testament and is like commentary on it, helping us learn how to live out the commandments and ordinances of God revealed to us in the Old Testament. It was never intended to replace the Old Testament writings. But anyway, I am getting sidetracked here. By studying and learning how to obey Torah, I am learning how to obey my Father God and to be like Yeshua, Who knew the Scriptures inside out and obeyed His Father in all things.
I do NOT obey the Torah to earn my salvation or to prove myself worthy of salvation. Just as there is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved than that of Yeshua the Messiah, likewise it is only by His blood shed on the cross that my sins have been forgiven and the wages of sin is set aside. The debt that I owed, He paid with His shed blood. There is NOTHING, NOTHING that I or anyone else can do that will make us worthy of God's forgiveness, that will wipe out the record of our sins, that will enable us to live eternally in God's kingdom. We must accept His sacrifice on our behalf and turn from our sins to live a life marked by faith in Him.
Ephesians 2:4-10 (Amplified) But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Keeping the Torah cannot save us. It is only through faith in the Messiah that we can find salvation. That does NOT mean there is no value in keeping the Torah, however. Once we are "born again," as Yeshua told Nicodemus in John 3:3, we need to live out our lives like the children of God that He allows us to become. John 1:12 (Amplified) But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--[Isa. 56:5.] The Torah teaches us what behavior on our parts is acceptable to God the Father. You could say that Torah is His "house rules." Every family has rules that its members live by. Those rules usually aren't written down but nevertheless they are understood by each family member. In this case, we have the benefit of His written "house rules", so we are without excuse when we live in ways that do not honor Him or bring Him pleasure. Remember James 2:17? (Amplified) So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). Yeshua Himself said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
So I base my salvation on the shed blood of my LORD Yeshua the Messiah and I do my best to obey His Torah because I love Him. It's Yeshua FIRST and Torah second. 1John 3:24 (Amplified) All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.
You've probably heard some preacher somewhere say that "Jesus is the Word made flesh." Well actually, that is in scripture, too: John 1:14 (Amplified) And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.] The Word of God includes ALL of His Word, not just the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. So it would be appropriate to say that Yeshua is the Torah made flesh. Through His life and teaching, we learn how to live out the holiness that God commands us to walk in, which was first commanded in the Torah. If you don't believe me, look up these verses: Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7, 26, 21:6,8; Numbers 15:40, 16:5; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 21, 26:19, 28:9. They sound surprisingly like 1 Peter 1:14-16! It's amazing how many things in the New Testament can be found FIRST in the Old Testament; there's really nothing "new" at all about the New Testament or anything "old" about the Old Testament. The New Testament builds on the Old Testament and is like commentary on it, helping us learn how to live out the commandments and ordinances of God revealed to us in the Old Testament. It was never intended to replace the Old Testament writings. But anyway, I am getting sidetracked here. By studying and learning how to obey Torah, I am learning how to obey my Father God and to be like Yeshua, Who knew the Scriptures inside out and obeyed His Father in all things.
I do NOT obey the Torah to earn my salvation or to prove myself worthy of salvation. Just as there is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved than that of Yeshua the Messiah, likewise it is only by His blood shed on the cross that my sins have been forgiven and the wages of sin is set aside. The debt that I owed, He paid with His shed blood. There is NOTHING, NOTHING that I or anyone else can do that will make us worthy of God's forgiveness, that will wipe out the record of our sins, that will enable us to live eternally in God's kingdom. We must accept His sacrifice on our behalf and turn from our sins to live a life marked by faith in Him.
Ephesians 2:4-10 (Amplified) But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Keeping the Torah cannot save us. It is only through faith in the Messiah that we can find salvation. That does NOT mean there is no value in keeping the Torah, however. Once we are "born again," as Yeshua told Nicodemus in John 3:3, we need to live out our lives like the children of God that He allows us to become. John 1:12 (Amplified) But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--[Isa. 56:5.] The Torah teaches us what behavior on our parts is acceptable to God the Father. You could say that Torah is His "house rules." Every family has rules that its members live by. Those rules usually aren't written down but nevertheless they are understood by each family member. In this case, we have the benefit of His written "house rules", so we are without excuse when we live in ways that do not honor Him or bring Him pleasure. Remember James 2:17? (Amplified) So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). Yeshua Himself said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
So I base my salvation on the shed blood of my LORD Yeshua the Messiah and I do my best to obey His Torah because I love Him. It's Yeshua FIRST and Torah second. 1John 3:24 (Amplified) All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.
Monday, June 05, 2006
I Do Not Believe...
A couple posts back I wrote a post about what I do believe. Then I got to thinking that it would be interesting to write about what I do NOT believe. And so we'll see where this goes...
1) I do NOT believe that Israel and the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been set aside by God or have been replaced by the Church. I find no scriptural foundation for such a belief and will not buy into it. Replacement theology, in my opinion, was birthed in the pits of hell and has been used by Satan to cause great harm to the Jews at the hands of Christians throughout the ages. Satan, in my opinion, has also used this to deceive many Christians into believing that they are now God's chosen, at the expense of the Jews (lumping all physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob into that group), that the Jews have been set aside and forgotten in God's plans.
2) I do NOT believe in dispensationalism, that God has acted towards man in different dispensations throughout history. I DO believe in the "dispensation of the grace of God" which is mentioned in Ephesians 3:2 and in the "dispensation of the fullness of times" mentioned in Ephesians 1:10.
3) I do NOT believe that there are many paths to God, that any and all religious beliefs bring one to the same place, of peace with God and a place in His eternal kingdom. Yeshua made it very plain when He said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me." (Amplified) --John 14:6 Also, Acts 4:12 says, "And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved." (Amplified) Then Yeshua said in John 3:16-18, "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] (Amplified)
4) I do NOT believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the saints. I believe that the book of Revelation and Yeshua's own words in Matthew 24 make it clear that the saints need to stay on their guard and be alert. Repeatedly, we are enjoined to persevere and to endure. I cannot see why God's people throughout history and even now in our times would have to endure suffering and persecution, but we western, American Christians would get raptured out of all of that.
5) I do NOT believe that Christmas and Easter are acceptable substitutes for the commanded festivals or appointed times of my Father God. I do not believe that we can pick and choose which commandments we will keep and which commandments we will decide are obsolete and no longer in effect or worthwhile for believers to keep. I do not believe that God has given to any person or institution the right to set aside His commandments and ordinances, replacing His with their own.
6) I do NOT believe that the Church was suddenly "born" in the book of Acts. I believe that the Church began at Mount Horeb, when God gave His commandments to Moses and separated a people for Himself. I believe that Yeshua showed us HOW to be the people of God, His called-out ones, and opened the way for Gentiles to join His Church.
Well, I think I will stop with that. If I think of any others, I will post them at a different time. Have YOU ever stopped to define what YOU do and do not believe?
1) I do NOT believe that Israel and the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been set aside by God or have been replaced by the Church. I find no scriptural foundation for such a belief and will not buy into it. Replacement theology, in my opinion, was birthed in the pits of hell and has been used by Satan to cause great harm to the Jews at the hands of Christians throughout the ages. Satan, in my opinion, has also used this to deceive many Christians into believing that they are now God's chosen, at the expense of the Jews (lumping all physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob into that group), that the Jews have been set aside and forgotten in God's plans.
2) I do NOT believe in dispensationalism, that God has acted towards man in different dispensations throughout history. I DO believe in the "dispensation of the grace of God" which is mentioned in Ephesians 3:2 and in the "dispensation of the fullness of times" mentioned in Ephesians 1:10.
3) I do NOT believe that there are many paths to God, that any and all religious beliefs bring one to the same place, of peace with God and a place in His eternal kingdom. Yeshua made it very plain when He said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me." (Amplified) --John 14:6 Also, Acts 4:12 says, "And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved." (Amplified) Then Yeshua said in John 3:16-18, "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] (Amplified)
4) I do NOT believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the saints. I believe that the book of Revelation and Yeshua's own words in Matthew 24 make it clear that the saints need to stay on their guard and be alert. Repeatedly, we are enjoined to persevere and to endure. I cannot see why God's people throughout history and even now in our times would have to endure suffering and persecution, but we western, American Christians would get raptured out of all of that.
5) I do NOT believe that Christmas and Easter are acceptable substitutes for the commanded festivals or appointed times of my Father God. I do not believe that we can pick and choose which commandments we will keep and which commandments we will decide are obsolete and no longer in effect or worthwhile for believers to keep. I do not believe that God has given to any person or institution the right to set aside His commandments and ordinances, replacing His with their own.
6) I do NOT believe that the Church was suddenly "born" in the book of Acts. I believe that the Church began at Mount Horeb, when God gave His commandments to Moses and separated a people for Himself. I believe that Yeshua showed us HOW to be the people of God, His called-out ones, and opened the way for Gentiles to join His Church.
Well, I think I will stop with that. If I think of any others, I will post them at a different time. Have YOU ever stopped to define what YOU do and do not believe?
What "Religion" Are You?
Last night at work I was asked, "What religion are you?" They wanted to know if I was Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist or whatever. I told them I wasn't any of those; I am just a follower of Jesus the Messiah. I'm not sure my answer satisfied them because it doesn't fit with any of the "boxes" we've created to define our religious preferences and practices. I smiled to myself, though, as I tried to picture Peter or John or James or Paul being asked such a question and how they might have answered. "What do you mean, what religion am I? I am a disciple of the LORD Yeshua HaMeshiach. I follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." I wonder what they would have to say about all of our different denominations.
This question does raise an interesting problem, though. Since I do not define myself by a denominational affiliation, when someone wants to know what I believe and adhere to, what DO I call myself? In truth, I am a believer in and follower of Yeshua the Messiah. I believe in living according to the whole counsel of the Word of God, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21.
I do not really want to say that I am a Messianic believer for a couple of reasons. One of those being that most of the people I talk to have no clue what a Messianic believer is; they've never even heard the word before. Another reason I prefer to avoid that name is that those who have heard that term have some preconceived ideas about it, including that Messianics are Judaizers or that they are Jewish wannabe's, neither of which is true of me. As for Messianic Judaism, since I have no Jewish ancestry that I am aware of, I don't believe that this name fits me, either. I am not a Jew who has accepted Yeshua as the Messiah and chosen to follow Him. Nor do I have any interest in going through the Jewish conversion process. As far as I know, I am a Gentile, who has come to faith in the Messiah Yeshua and He has accepted me just as I am, adopting me into His family, and has given me no indication in His Word that I need to "convert" to Judaism.
Saying that I am a Christian has similar drawbacks. Too many people equate being a Christian with belonging to a church, as though just belonging to a particular church or attending a certain church can make you a Christian; sorry, but this just ain't so! That's like saying that if I sat out in the garage long enough, I'd become a car; just ain't gonna happen! People have a lot of preconceived ideas about Christians, too, like they're judgmental and condemning, holier-than-thou and hypocrites. The term "Christian" carries a lot of baggage with it, most of which I don't want to carry around with me. So I apologize if you have a strong connection to that name, wear it proudly and what I've said is offensive to you; I don't mean to offend or to put anyone else down who chooses to wear that name, but it doesn't fit me any more.
So when all is said and done, I think I will have to stick to saying that I am a believer in and follower of Yeshua the Messiah, only begotten Son of the Eternal God and Creator of the universe, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and Savior of all mankind, Who in His flesh has made us all--Jew and Gentile--one body.
This question does raise an interesting problem, though. Since I do not define myself by a denominational affiliation, when someone wants to know what I believe and adhere to, what DO I call myself? In truth, I am a believer in and follower of Yeshua the Messiah. I believe in living according to the whole counsel of the Word of God, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21.
I do not really want to say that I am a Messianic believer for a couple of reasons. One of those being that most of the people I talk to have no clue what a Messianic believer is; they've never even heard the word before. Another reason I prefer to avoid that name is that those who have heard that term have some preconceived ideas about it, including that Messianics are Judaizers or that they are Jewish wannabe's, neither of which is true of me. As for Messianic Judaism, since I have no Jewish ancestry that I am aware of, I don't believe that this name fits me, either. I am not a Jew who has accepted Yeshua as the Messiah and chosen to follow Him. Nor do I have any interest in going through the Jewish conversion process. As far as I know, I am a Gentile, who has come to faith in the Messiah Yeshua and He has accepted me just as I am, adopting me into His family, and has given me no indication in His Word that I need to "convert" to Judaism.
Saying that I am a Christian has similar drawbacks. Too many people equate being a Christian with belonging to a church, as though just belonging to a particular church or attending a certain church can make you a Christian; sorry, but this just ain't so! That's like saying that if I sat out in the garage long enough, I'd become a car; just ain't gonna happen! People have a lot of preconceived ideas about Christians, too, like they're judgmental and condemning, holier-than-thou and hypocrites. The term "Christian" carries a lot of baggage with it, most of which I don't want to carry around with me. So I apologize if you have a strong connection to that name, wear it proudly and what I've said is offensive to you; I don't mean to offend or to put anyone else down who chooses to wear that name, but it doesn't fit me any more.
So when all is said and done, I think I will have to stick to saying that I am a believer in and follower of Yeshua the Messiah, only begotten Son of the Eternal God and Creator of the universe, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and Savior of all mankind, Who in His flesh has made us all--Jew and Gentile--one body.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Bless The Lord, O My Soul
Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits!
I had one of those "ah, HA!" moments this morning. I was thinking about some email and blog posts I've read lately and realized something that I think is most interesting. When Christians pray, they mostly pray, "God, bless me." When the Jews and those who practice the Hebraic roots of our faith pray, they mostly pray, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has...(you fill in the blank)." Where's the focus? In the first instance, the focus is all on self--bless me: bless me with food, bless me with health, bless me with wealth, etc. In the second instance, the focus is on the LORD: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has filled our lives with all good things, Who renews our lives like the eagles, Who healeth all our diseases, Who redeems our lives from the pit, etc.
It's as if in the first instance, we really don't trust the LORD to provide our needs or even trust Him to know what our needs are, so we have to remind Him. In the second instance, it seems that the trust is implicit, we know that He knows what we need and we trust that He is providing, so we bless Him for the provision that we may or may not see already.
If you'd like to learn more about blessing God, you can find many of these kinds of blessings at Hebrew4Christians. This is a great site. I also want to state up front that the man who runs that site does not believe that Christians need to keep the Torah. That should be reassuring if you are a Christian who doesn't understand what value keeping Torah has for you and are not interested in becoming Torah observant. For those believers who do want to keep Torah, don't let this put you off from utilizing the wonderful resources available at this website.
I had one of those "ah, HA!" moments this morning. I was thinking about some email and blog posts I've read lately and realized something that I think is most interesting. When Christians pray, they mostly pray, "God, bless me." When the Jews and those who practice the Hebraic roots of our faith pray, they mostly pray, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has...(you fill in the blank)." Where's the focus? In the first instance, the focus is all on self--bless me: bless me with food, bless me with health, bless me with wealth, etc. In the second instance, the focus is on the LORD: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has filled our lives with all good things, Who renews our lives like the eagles, Who healeth all our diseases, Who redeems our lives from the pit, etc.
It's as if in the first instance, we really don't trust the LORD to provide our needs or even trust Him to know what our needs are, so we have to remind Him. In the second instance, it seems that the trust is implicit, we know that He knows what we need and we trust that He is providing, so we bless Him for the provision that we may or may not see already.
If you'd like to learn more about blessing God, you can find many of these kinds of blessings at Hebrew4Christians. This is a great site. I also want to state up front that the man who runs that site does not believe that Christians need to keep the Torah. That should be reassuring if you are a Christian who doesn't understand what value keeping Torah has for you and are not interested in becoming Torah observant. For those believers who do want to keep Torah, don't let this put you off from utilizing the wonderful resources available at this website.
A Blessing Or A Blot?
This morning in one of the devotionals I read, it focused on this Memorial Day and whether our lives will live on after we're gone as a blessing or a blot. You can find it to read at RBC-Our Daily Bread for Monday May 29. Here's a quote from that devotional:
On Memorial Day in the US, we pause to honor those of past generations. While many stirring recollections flood our minds, we realize that the time will come when each of us will also be a memory. What will others recall of our words and deeds when they think of us?
What will your memorial be? Determine by the grace of God to live for Him and give yourself to the needs of others. Then your testimony will become a blessing and inspiration to all who follow in your steps. --Richard De Haan
What have you written on memory's page?
Deeds that were done in the Master's name?
Words that were spoken to spread His fame?
What have you written today? --Anon.
This follows closely on the heels of my previous post about the Bibles I received over the weekend. Not only should I consider what my Bible will say about me after I am gone, but what memories will I leave behind? Will my children and grandchildren remember me as a blessing, as someone who loved them unconditionally and was there for them, as someone who encouraged them and prayed for them, as someone who had time to listen to them and to spend with them? Will they remember me as someone who loved unselfishly, who had a servant's heart, who walked in the ways of Yeshua to the best of my ability? Will they remember me as someone who refused to compromise with the world, who refused to compromise the Word of God? Will they remember me as a woman of integrity, honesty, loyalty, humility? Will they remember me as a woman who loved not the world or the things that are in the world, but who gave all that she could, whose affections were set on things above and not on things of the earth? This is definitely something that is worth taking the time to ponder and consider and make any necessary adjustments to obtain the desired end result. Do I want my life to be a blessing or a blot?
On Memorial Day in the US, we pause to honor those of past generations. While many stirring recollections flood our minds, we realize that the time will come when each of us will also be a memory. What will others recall of our words and deeds when they think of us?
What will your memorial be? Determine by the grace of God to live for Him and give yourself to the needs of others. Then your testimony will become a blessing and inspiration to all who follow in your steps. --Richard De Haan
What have you written on memory's page?
Deeds that were done in the Master's name?
Words that were spoken to spread His fame?
What have you written today? --Anon.
This follows closely on the heels of my previous post about the Bibles I received over the weekend. Not only should I consider what my Bible will say about me after I am gone, but what memories will I leave behind? Will my children and grandchildren remember me as a blessing, as someone who loved them unconditionally and was there for them, as someone who encouraged them and prayed for them, as someone who had time to listen to them and to spend with them? Will they remember me as someone who loved unselfishly, who had a servant's heart, who walked in the ways of Yeshua to the best of my ability? Will they remember me as someone who refused to compromise with the world, who refused to compromise the Word of God? Will they remember me as a woman of integrity, honesty, loyalty, humility? Will they remember me as a woman who loved not the world or the things that are in the world, but who gave all that she could, whose affections were set on things above and not on things of the earth? This is definitely something that is worth taking the time to ponder and consider and make any necessary adjustments to obtain the desired end result. Do I want my life to be a blessing or a blot?
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Family Treasure
Yesterday my husband Tim & I visited my mom. Before we were ready to leave, she asked me if I wanted this old trunk full of books that she'd gotten from her uncle's estate. She took us into her bedroom to show it to us and after seeing the treasure contained within that trunk I said, Yes, I certainly wanted it! We didn't have room to bring it home with us yesterday so will have to get it at a future time, but I did bring home two of the books that had been in that trunk. What treasures they are to me! The first is a hardbound copy of the Bible printed in 1888 by the American Bible Society and with my great-great-grandfather's name written inside the front cover. It's in pretty good shape for being so old so I suspect it didn't see a lot of use, but there are a couple of interesting things tucked between the pages. There's a gospel tract titled, Have You Believed?, which clearly lays out that salvation is by faith in the Son of God. There's an old newspaper clipping of a letter-to-the-advice-columnist kind of thing seeking Biblical references for the evils of drunkenness (with references given). There's a poem about having courage. There's an old pressed carnation (at least I think that's what it is). There's a snippet of paper with a recipe written down for homemade silver polish. Then there are family record pages between the Old & New Testaments with the marriage of my great-great-grandfather recorded: "William H Wilding married to Elizabeth A Vine in the year 1870, Dec 24." Then there's a listing for their deaths: "William H Wilding died Feb 5, 1899 at 4 in the morning" and "Mrs Lizzie Wilding-Benedict died Jan 14th 1933 @ 2:30 o'clock, funeral Jan 17, 1933, Paul White, minister."
The second book is a leatherbound Bible, KJV published by Thomas Nelson & Sons, presented to Ida Wilding (my great-grandmother) by her father, William H Wilding, on June 20, 1898. This Bible is in pretty bad shape, with lots of the pages falling out and tattered, so I suspect it saw a lot of use. Again, it has lots of interesting things tucked between the pages. There are a couple more gospel tracts, the tip of a peacock's feather, some cherished momentos from children and grandchildren, a lock of someone's hair, a couple pieces of poetry, and an obituary for a 17 year old young lady that we think is the girl my great-uncle was going to marry, but then she died and he never did marry; he died a bachelor. My great-grandmother also recorded her birth, her husband's birth, their marriage, and the births of their 5 children, which includes my maternal grandmother. This Bible is also most interesting because of all the Bible study helps contained in the back of the book: The Illustrated Bible Treasury.
Looking through these two family treasures fills me with awe. Since I am the only believer in my birth family, though my mother and siblings have some religious understanding, I am encouraged to think that perhaps if I could go back a generation or two I would find that my forebears were people of strong faith in the LORD. Makes me also wonder about my father's family tree, if they were people of faith.
It also makes me stop and think about the spiritual legacy that I am building to leave for my children, grandchildren and beyond, should the LORD tarry that long. When my grandchildren look in my Bible after I am gone, what will they find? I believe that they'll find ample evidence of my faith in the LORD. My Bible is underlined, highlighted, with margin notes, with poetry copied onto pages, with words of wisdom written on blank pages, etc. Maybe I will even write a short letter to my descendants to leave behind with my Bible, expressing my hopes and prayers for them to follow the LORD with all their hearts and to be people of faith. Interesting possibilities!
So what will your Bible say about you and your faith in the Son of God, should you die and your Bible ends up in the hands of a great-grandchild some day? Will it just be another carefully preserved book or will it bear testimony to your love for the Master and His Word, of your faith in Him? Think about it!
The second book is a leatherbound Bible, KJV published by Thomas Nelson & Sons, presented to Ida Wilding (my great-grandmother) by her father, William H Wilding, on June 20, 1898. This Bible is in pretty bad shape, with lots of the pages falling out and tattered, so I suspect it saw a lot of use. Again, it has lots of interesting things tucked between the pages. There are a couple more gospel tracts, the tip of a peacock's feather, some cherished momentos from children and grandchildren, a lock of someone's hair, a couple pieces of poetry, and an obituary for a 17 year old young lady that we think is the girl my great-uncle was going to marry, but then she died and he never did marry; he died a bachelor. My great-grandmother also recorded her birth, her husband's birth, their marriage, and the births of their 5 children, which includes my maternal grandmother. This Bible is also most interesting because of all the Bible study helps contained in the back of the book: The Illustrated Bible Treasury.
Looking through these two family treasures fills me with awe. Since I am the only believer in my birth family, though my mother and siblings have some religious understanding, I am encouraged to think that perhaps if I could go back a generation or two I would find that my forebears were people of strong faith in the LORD. Makes me also wonder about my father's family tree, if they were people of faith.
It also makes me stop and think about the spiritual legacy that I am building to leave for my children, grandchildren and beyond, should the LORD tarry that long. When my grandchildren look in my Bible after I am gone, what will they find? I believe that they'll find ample evidence of my faith in the LORD. My Bible is underlined, highlighted, with margin notes, with poetry copied onto pages, with words of wisdom written on blank pages, etc. Maybe I will even write a short letter to my descendants to leave behind with my Bible, expressing my hopes and prayers for them to follow the LORD with all their hearts and to be people of faith. Interesting possibilities!
So what will your Bible say about you and your faith in the Son of God, should you die and your Bible ends up in the hands of a great-grandchild some day? Will it just be another carefully preserved book or will it bear testimony to your love for the Master and His Word, of your faith in Him? Think about it!
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