Church gossip

The church gossip, self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence. She made a mistake, however, when she accused Henry, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup truck parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She emphatically told Henry and several others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing. Henry, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend or deny. He said nothing. Later that evening, Henry quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house..... walked home....and left it there all night. You gotta love Henry!

CREATION

A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .
If you want people to like you, agree with them.

WISDOM AT CREATION
"I was there when HE set the heavens into place; when HE fixed the horizon upon the deep; when HE made the heavens above firm, and the fountains of the deep gushed forth." [Proverbs (Mishle) 8. 27 - 28 Tanakh, Kethuvim]

The WORD of GOD, DIVINE WISDOM, is speaking here. This is an awe-inspiring description of some of Creator GOD's works when, through Messiah Jesus, HE was creating and making all things.

Proverbs 8:27 speaks of Jesus’ pre-existence before the creation of the space/time universe itself. The earth was "without form," with only a great "deep fountain" of water. Then GOD Omnipotent "set a compass" on the face of the deep, begin the gravitational forces which brought it into a sphere form. The Hebrew word "chuwg" means "compass or sphere." It is the same word where it is said that the Holy One "enthroned above the circle (sphere or vault) of the earth." [Isaiah (Yeshayah) 40. 22 Tanakh, Nevi'im]

Then GOD Eternal established the clouds above. "Shachaq" is the Hebrew word for clouds or thin mists which refers to the great water canopy "above the expanse." [Genesis (Bereshith) 1. 7 Tanakh, Torah] Finally, the Master Designer strengthened the fountains of the deep, locking them under the "foundations of the earth." [Proverbs (Mishle) 8. 29 Tanakh, Kethuvim] The same strong fountains of the deep would later be broken up at the time of the Great Flood. When the earth was completed, Almighty God "rejoiced in HIS inhabited world." [Proverbs (Mishle) 8. 31 Tanakh, Kethuvim]

"Now sons, listen to me (Wisdom [Hebrew: chokmah] & Understanding [Hebrew: tabuwn]); 'Happy are they who keep my ways. Heed discipline and become wise; do not spurn it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, coming early to my gates each day, waiting outside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favour from the LORD, but he who misses me destroys himself; all who hate me love death." [Proverbs (Mishle) 8. 32 - 36 Tanakh, Kethuvim] Wisdom comes as we incline our ear to our Master's Voice, apply His Word to our lives for understanding, revere Creator GOD and keep HIS life-giving commandments. GREAT is the GOD of Creation! GREAT is HIS Wisdom! GREAT is HIS Love regarding the sons of man expressed in the Lord Yeshua ha’Mashiach our Redeemer & Saviour.



Sha'alu (Pray) for the Shalom (Peace) of Jerusalem and all of Israel!
Welcome Shabbat! – Celebrate the traditional Melaveh Malkeh (escorting in the Sabbath) - Queen of the week!
The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST be with your spirit every moment of each new day.

Judge

Judge Gently

Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps
Or stumbles along the road.
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt
Though hidden away from view.
Or the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.

You may be strong but still the blows
That were his if dealt to you
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time
Might cause you to stagger too.

Don't be too harsh with the man that sins
Or pelt him with word or stone
Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -
That you have no sins of your own.

For you know, perhaps,
If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray
It might cause you to falter too.

Sabbatical

Are you totally lost? or just a visitor?

 

 

Gentle Reader,

I am on sabbatical [suh-BAT-i-kuhl]

1.	of or pertaining or appropriate to the Sabbath.

2.	(lowercase) of or pertaining to a sabbatical year.

3.	(lowercase) bringing a period of rest.

–noun

4.	(lowercase) sabbatical year.

5.

(lowercase) any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.  {This is where I am now in training for the world olympics} So here is a wee bit of humor as only I can share The Pastor's Wife Gladys was the preacher's wife and accompanied her husband each Sunday to church. One particular Sunday when the sermon seemed to go on forever, many in the congregation fell asleep. After the service, to be sociable, she walked up to a very sleepy looking gentleman. In an attempt to revive him from his stupor, she extended her hand in greeting, and said, "Hello, I'm Gladys Dunn." To which the gentleman replied, "You're not the only one!" See you soon  Love, Denis

50 cents worth of God!

What do you do when you are bone weary?

Even Jesus got tired now and then

Gentle Reader,

What do you do when you are so worn out that you can’t even put into words how tired you are. Well, here I am at that point. After 3+ years and over 1800 posts I’m tired! My prayers are almost non-existent I miss the face to face fellowship of Bible Studies, where we get to "really" study and pray not just "rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub" kind of praying.

Where are those who want to call down heaven and search the Scriptures daily to seek and to find "real answers" just the way the Bereans did [ Acts 17:10-11]?

I need to find and redefine my relationship with our heavenly Father, I need to sit at His feet and listen as He talks, teaches and loves me back to where He wants.

I need koinwniva Koinonia (koy-nohn-ee'-ah)  association, community, communion  intimacy with my Father. It’s time to draw aside for a while and seek His face once more . I need to spend time in prayer and the Word so that I don’t become like so many that I see around me who say "Give me 50¢ worth of God, please!" So I plan to take a wee break for a time. Now don’t worry I left you plenty of things to read and I’ll leave coffee and Irish cream muffins on the fridge above my stash of stories and the like. Write me a note that you were here and I get back to you. Better still, invite me to speak to your church or fellowship and I’ll be back before you know it _Denis

A Friend

"I have given them your Word"

Gentle reader,

I want you to tuck your copy of this blog under your arm and run yes, I said run ,out to the closest book store and get a copy of this book (better still get one for mothers day and one for your Pastor/bible teacher Shall I tell you why (All: in Unison) "O.K. Denis why?"  First let me tell you again for those who were getting coffee and the last of my Irish Cream muffins, when I wrote about my dear friend Dr. J. D. Watson!  "Doc" as he is called by all who know is a black belt in Tae kwon Do.  I was a third degree back in those days (now a 6th) and so when we meet for the first time it was in  a church and we were trying to gain 1000 people for some promotion (as if numbers mattered rather than quality both of which are important. I stood on a street corner and did magic when I had a crowd then I would preach. J.D. did a Karate demonstration and brought people in (that was the way we did it back years ago, before we really made use of the media). [This was not our idea but the then Pastor who shall remain nameless ]

When we discovered we shared a common interest in Karate (Tae Kwon Do-Korean style)  we got into our uniforms and spared J.D. was and is a very intense young man (I'm older but I won't say how old! And no I did not help build the Ark!) He encouraged me through my ordination and to continue my education  which I did through several university degrees. So now we like to say (or at least I do we are a paradox).

 J.D. has managed to bridge the gap between the so-called layman and the pulpit. I think I can speak for J.D. "Doc'' when I say our earnest desire is for all believers to "get to know HIM" and to do that one must learn about HIM and read the Word which are HIS WORDS. Joseph Hart  once said:

The Scriptures and the Word
Bear one tremendous name,
The Living and the Written Word
In all things are the same.

 

Both J. D. and I hold that belief, Gentle Reader, if you want to "really" know your Saviour Christ Jesus... Than you must read HIS Word (the Bible) and I can think of no better help for you to really know HIM than to use "Doc" Watsons latest book and read like your life depends on it (because it does) learn not only the Word of God but the WORDS of God!

 Love, Denis

P.S. You can get J.D.'s book at Amazon.Com or any book store or try the Library in your home town. But My choice is to buy several and give then to your pastor or friends [ be sure to keep one  or two for yourself] for your as gifts of love from one beggar to another showing them where to find bread.

 

As told to a friend

Gentle Reader, we havew here an understand that many hold on too....
Read and tell me where you see yourself
For many years, I was a member of a "church" group that held that sins were forgiven upon request. They also opposed the concept of "the security of believers," which was also referred to as "once saved, always saved." At some point in time, I became aware of the fact that the two concepts were not the same. The difference in the two concepts was in the term "believers." In order to understand this, we must fully comprehend the truth of these things, we must understand the scriptural disposition of those that are "in Jesus."

Romans 4:88 "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account."

2 Corinthians 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.


In Romans 4:8, the phrase "take into account" was rendered from a single Greek term that means "to put together with one's mind, to count, to occupy oneself with reckonings or calculations." This is the same word that is rendered as "counting" in 2 Corinthians 5:19. Paul was declaring that God did not recognize the sins of those who are in Jesus!

Romans 8:3, 4 - 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

In the above verses, Paul stated that God had "condemned" sin in the "flesh." In the context of the Roman letter, Paul used the term "flesh" in regard to the "fleshly system" of service under the Law. What Jesus had accomplished for those that were under the Law is fund in the meaning of the term that was rendered as "condemned, which meant "to depose, to set aside."

"Condemned. Deposed from its dominion, a thing impossible to the law, which could pronounce judgment and inflict penalty, but not dethrone." Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, Romans 8:3.

Paul stated that God, through Jesus, had set aside or ended the dominion of sins under the Law. Jesus didn’t end the Law; He ended accountability for sins!

Hebrews 10:1-4 - 1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The subject of the above text is "making perfect." The offerings of the Law, by nature of their repetitiveness, demonstrated that they were inadequate for that purpose. The "keys" to the writer’s presentation are found in the phrases "no longer have consciousness of sins" and "once offered." How can man no longer have consciousness of sins? That can only happen if he is secure in the knowledge that his sins are "not taken into account." That is precisely what the writer stated in verse 4.

The writer used a single Greek term that was rendered as "take away." While the writer is commonly understood as addressing "forgiveness," the meaning of the Greek term was in regard to the removal of a burden, article of clothing, or the suffering caused by the loss of something. The only other time that term was used in association with sin was in Romans 11:27, where the meaning is parallel with the verse under discussion.

Romans 11:2727 "And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

Contrast the above verse with what Paul had stated in the earlier verses of our discussion. Then contrast the Hebrews writer’s use of "take away" with his presentation of God’s promises.

Hebrews 8:12 "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more."

Hebrews 10:17 "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

How does one not remember? The only way that is possible is to have them not come to mind. The Hebrews writer stated the conclusion of the matter in verse 14: "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." The Hebrews writer stated that, for those under the Law, the single offering of God’s Son made all sins, past present and future, unaccountable! As gentiles, we have been made partakers of the "hope of Israel."

A practical application is found in Paul’s first letter to the saints of Corinth. Paul spends the first fourteen chapters unbraiding those saints for their many failures. While I would not seek to minimize those failures, we find that they did not affect their standing in the gospel of our Lord and Savior. In fact, we find that Paul praises them in that regard.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 - 1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

Paul not only told them that they were standing firm in the faith, he also stated that if they continued accordingly, they would be saved.

One will be hard pressed to find any scriptural reference to someone having "fallen away, other than those that are said to have abandoned the Way of Jesus. This was clearly the case with those of Hebrews 10:39: "But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

Therefore, as was stated in the beginning, while I cannot support a teaching of "once saved, always saved," the scriptures require that I support the concept of "the security of believers." Our salvation is in the gospel; it has the power to save (Rom. 1:16). We should trust in what God has revealed to us, and not seek to re-establish a system of law, which can only lead to failure.

In Him

You don't change people by preaching at them; you influence them by living
life with them. Is your relationship with Jesus based on the many ministries
inside your Church. Even in these Groups. But God wants to heal the sick, save
the lost. We are at a time when God is saying he wants more quite time with us.
Why too prepare us to take the Gospel to those in need. They are outside the
Church walls. If not us who. Thank you Lord. Let our lives be a major influence
on those who need you the most.
Col.2:6 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye IN HIM:

Things have gotten...

Better or worse?
Most Americans Feel Religion Is 'Under Attack,' Poll Shows
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
November 21, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - A new survey shows the majority of Americans think religion is "under attack" and "losing its influence" in American life.

According to the poll, American Attitudes Toward Religion In the Public Square, 64 percent agreed with the statement that "religion is under attack" in America, and 80 percent of those who identify themselves as fundamentalist/evangelical/charismatic Christians, were in agreement.

"The findings suggest that American public opinion is starkly divided when it comes to the role of religion in the public square, and that our nation's proud tradition of church-state separation is threatened as never before," said Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham H. Foxman.

The poll of 800 adults was conducted between Oct. 25 and 30 and released by the Anti-Defamation League.

"Unfortunately, too many people believe that religion is under attack in America, when in fact according to all measurements, religion is stronger in the United States than in any other Western country," said Foxman.

The poll also found 53 percent of respondents believe that religion is "losing" influence in American life, while 35 percent said it is "increasing influence." Among those who think religion is "losing" influence, 60 percent are evangelical/fundamental/charismatic Christians, while 33 percent of that same group said religion is "increasing" in influence.

As far as Ten Commandment cases go, 64 percent of those polled agreed with the statement that "it is important that religious symbols like the Ten Commandments be displayed in public buildings such as court housed. Eighty-nine percent of fundamentalist/evangelical/charismatic Christians agreed.

On the topic of intelligent design, the theory that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher being, 56 percent favor the teaching of intelligent design or creationism, alongside the theory of evolution in public schools.

Among fundamentalist/evangelical/charismatic Christians, 70 percent favor creationism, compared to 28 percent who opposed it.

And 57 percent said "the Bible" was "a more likely explanation for the origins of human life on earth" instead of Darwin, compared to 31 percent who believe Darwin is a more likely explanation. Eighty-seven percent of evangelical/fundamentalist/charismatic Christians favored the Bible over Darwin as a better explanation of the origins of human life.

What's so special?????

“Therefore I want you to know

that’s God’s salvation

has been sent to the Gentiles,

and they will listen.”

So what’s so special about

Acts 28:28?????

There are certain events in history which are pivotal. What happened after them bears little relationship to what went on before. The words written by Luke at the end of his Acts of the Apostles describe such an event.

First he records Paul’s final words to the Jewish leadership in Rome. He quotes at them Isaiah 6:9-10 which, after all, has been quoted a number of times earlier, but this is the last time these words are recorded in the New Testament. Effectively because the Jewish nation continually hardened their hearts to the message that Jesus was the Christ (i.e. the Messiah) and the Son of God, they had become blind and deaf …. and therefore useless. So what was God going to do?

From Abraham’s time onwards God has blessed the Gentiles through the Jews, and this had continued not only during the Gospels but right throughout the Acts of the Apostles. During that time all the evangelism, all the teaching, all the leadership positions …. all was Jewish. Gentiles were being saved, but through the ministry of Jews.

But many of the unbelieving Jews not only opposed Christ and His Apostles, they also opposed Christian Gentiles, confused them and corrupted them. In doing this they heaped “up their sins to the limit” (1 Thessalonians 2:16). Their cup of iniquity was full and judgment fell.

Within a few short years of Acts 28:28 the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, and exiled the nation of Israel. There followed, from the Christian point of view, some years of silence, but when we get to the writings of the early Church fathers what do we find? They were all Gentiles! There was not one Jew amongst them. God was true to His word, “God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles and they will listen.”

Paul’s later letters to Christians

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

Paul’s earlier letters to Jewish and Gentile Christians

Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians

1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans

Letters to Jews

Hebrews, James, 1,2,3 Peter,

1,2 John, Jude, Revelation

Thus in our understanding of the New Testament we should expect events after Acts 28:28 to be significantly different from those before, and this is what we find. The letters of James, Peter, John and Jude were written to Christian Jews and were written before Acts 28:28. Paul also wrote letters before Acts 28:28, addressed to mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles – these were Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians and Romans. Hebrews, obviously, was written to Christian Jews. After Acts 28:28 Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. If we analyse the New Testament by considering:

The Gospels

The Acts

The Jewish Letters, including Revelation

Paul’s earlier letters

Paul’s later letters,

The Gospels 64
The Acts 19
The Jewish Letters 21
Paul’s Earlier Letters 24
Paul’s Later Letters 0

we will discover some interesting features.

Consider the number of references to the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the New Testament. There are over 60 in the Gospels. Over 60 in the books written during the time covered by the Acts of the Apostle, but there is not one in the letters written after Acts 28.

And there are many other interesting features. Consider the words “Israel” and “Israelite”. How are these distributed?

The Gospels – 31

The Acts – 31

The Jewish Letters – 6

Paul’s Earlier Letters – 19

Paul’s Later Letters – 2

And those two references after Acts 28:28 are very different from anything before. The first is Ephesians 2:12 where we read that the Gentiles had be “excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.” However Paul then went on and wrote, “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” Truly, God’s salvation had been sent to the Gentiles.

The only other reference is in Philippians 3:5 where Paul gave his ancestral line saying he was “of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin” but goes on to say that this no longer means anything (v 7).

We see something similar with the words “Jew”, “Jews” and “Jewish”.

The Gospels – 72

The Acts – 81

The Jewish Letters – 2

Paul’s Earlier Letters – 29

Paul’s Later Letters – 2

Again the two references after Acts 28:28 are quite different from those before. Colossians 3:11 states that “there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised” and in Colossians 4:11 Paul mentions Mark and Justus and wrote “These are the only Jews amongst my fellow workers.” How different from the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. What a change! God’s salvation had been sent to the Gentiles, and they did listen.

In Romans 9:4 we read that “the covenants” belong to the people of Israel. That being the case, how is this word “covenant” distributed?

The Gospels – 4

The Acts – 2

The Jewish Letters – 21

Paul’s Earlier Letters – 9

Paul’s Later Letters – 1

The only occurrence after Acts 28:28 we have already mentioned. It occurs in Ephesians 2:12 where the Gentiles were told that they were “foreigners to the covenants of promise.”

And we can extend this approach to a wide variety of subjects. Consider for example “healing”, “heal” and “healed”

The Gospels – 72

The Acts – 14

The Jewish Letters – 15

Paul’s Earlier Letters – 4

Paul’s Later Letters – 0

But not only are there no references to the instant, miraculous sign of healing after Acts 28, if we read those letters we see people not being healed. For example, Paul did not send a handkerchief to heal Timothy, as he did for some people during Acts. Rather he sent him advice: “Stop drinking water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).

Then, when writing his last letter, he told Timothy that he had “left Trophimus sick in Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:23).

And even though Epaphroditus was “ill and almost died”, he recovered, for which Paul no doubt thanked the Lord. However, recovery is not miraculous healing.

To sum up:

Acts 28:28 is a pivotal point in God’s dealings with mankind. Here, I have just given a taste of what changes, but there is so much more.

Truth What is it?

What is Truth?

Gentle Reader,

When I want truth I go to 2 sources. 1) The Bible [when it's all said and done after all the study I put in in other book its after all God who has the first and last say! And 2) My wife Marti [sometimes what she has to say to me hurts, really hurts, but the point is that she loves me enough to tell me the TRUTH! She risks everything to be honest with me. Usually about my character (or sometimes the lack of it) I get caught up in my own little world at the expense of others. Now I don't want to but sometimes I am selfish, and hard to live with believe you me and sometimes I get mulely But its necessary to keep me grounded and Marti is a blessing ( mow don't get me wrong I don't like being called to task but its a dirty job and someone has to do it! Thank God (thank you Father for Marti) !!!

 Now another matter of truth 

THE WORD OF TRUTH - FOR TODAY
DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH

  "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15

     Well over ninety-nine out of a hundred people that contact us here at Scripture Institute http://www.studiesinscripture.bravehost.com  are Saints in Christ Jesus.  Most are seeking a better understanding of the Word of Truth For Today, and most of these already have some knowledge of the Divine Law of Right Division.  However, a good number of others who write us have very little or no understanding of this most vital truth.  One can fully expect this from young Christians in other parts of the globe, but many seasoned saints, both here and abroad, are also in the dark concerning this divine study principle.

     I cannot help but ask why?  And who is at fault?  Or perhaps I should ask, where do we direct the credit?  I am sure most of our readers will say, "hell, of course, Satan himself is behind it" and no one will try to dismiss that.  But how is he doing it?  Who is doing his beguiling and defrauding work for him?  Who is it that keeps the saints in darkness?  "MEN" in high places - that is who, and that is how.  Self deceived men who stand above, or higher, in their own view, than the saints of God.  High minded man who find it to their personal advantage to keep folks in the dark concerning Right Division.

     For when the truth of this divine law comes into view, and is faithfully honored, the deep dark clouds of religious observance, fleshly tradition, and imposed ordinances can and will, dissipate as the light of God's Word of Truth is made known.  And that is only made possible when the Word of Truth is Divided Rightly.

    One of the most effective weapons against truth, is to just "ignore" it, to react to it by not reacting to it.  Have you not read some word of truth that pricked your conscience and you almost wished you had not read it, or you wished that you could forget it, and while you were trying to forget it you kept ignoring it as best you could?  This is the way of men, the way of the flesh.

     But when we just can't forget it, and the troubled conscience persists, then we try to somehow change what we think it is saying, or twist it just enough to free our self from the truth of it, but of course the truth, if and when reworked, is then man's lie.  And so the sad reality is that those who find it too difficult to totally "ignore" a word of truth, will most often find a way to adjust or alter it to suit their needs.

     But in the end, perhaps the most difficult folks to help are the ones who have fully recognized this divine law and have been working at dividing it, perhaps for years, but have been making their incision in the wrong part of the body of truth.  I, for one, sympathize with these dear saints, for I, also, for some years did my own dividing wrongly, but never with intent to deceive anyone.  I was sure I was right at the time, and I am sure I am right now, but I could be wrong.  And I am still open to and seeking "The Truth" - for I am resolved to remain a "Learner" of Divine Truth.  For we have also seen that when a man takes on the mind-set of "teacher" that he is most likely to stop being a learner.

     An inflated ego, and an exaggerated self esteem, is the fertile soil of Satan' s workings.  And a teacher who has closed his mind to the truth, especially that truth which comes as the result of one's faithfulness to "Right Division", is a spiritual danger to any and all under his influence.

     I know we have caused "not a few" raised eyebrows and some outright scorn as we have used the term "The Divine Law of Right Division".  Some feel that is just too strong and that we discourage and alienate others.  However, we do need to fully realize that this whole matter does hold in view eternal consequences.  And we reject the idea that these words are a suggestion on God's part, or a mere part of a set of guide lines to help Timothy and others to do a better job of analyzing, and more skillfully handling and teaching the whole Bible.

     Some of the other translations listed below miss entirely, or severely distort, the clear Word of Truth.
        "Do your best, properly presenting - the truth."
        "No need to be ashamed of the way you handle the word of truth."
        "Cutting a straight path for the message of the truth."
        "Driving a straight furrow -in your proclamation of the truth."
        "Rightly laying out the word of truth."
        "Correctly analyzing the message of truth."
        "Accurate in delivering the word of truth."
        "Declaring the word of truth without distortion."

     Now I feel every one of these translators have "distorted" this Word of Truth to some degree, and we see this last one as an insult to the honesty and integrity of Paul's right hand man, and beloved son in the faith, Timothy.

 That's my message,

Love, Denis and Marti

  Scripture Institute "Speaking the Truth in Love"

Bill Gates on Church

Bill Gates on Church Attendance
In an interview with TIME magazine, Bill Gates is quoted as saying: "Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There’s a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning." Of course, by "Sunday Morning" he’s talking about a church service. To Bill, church and religion are not worth one hour of his time. It’s just good time management.

So what is the church and it's believers to do to reach people who think like Bill Gates?

Many churches have done a great job at making church relevant, interesting, and applicable to conditions that unsaved (yes, sinners) are going through; only to be criticized by other Christians for guess what... being relevant and watering down the message.

Many churches have concentrated on meeting felt needs: more topical messages; trying to relate to real-life issues that people are having in today's society. Find a need and fill it; only to be criticized by other Christians for being humanistic, centering on man's needs and not Christ.

FOR YOUR INPUT: So my question... how would you approach Bill Gates? If you're church is not being relevant or meeting felt-needs of unbelievers, how would you get past his criticism that your church is not worth his time? How do you convince someone who has everything (earthly speaking) that he needs Christ?