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?

God is Good

Gentle Reader,
(Deut. 11:1-32) describes what God expects from 'His' people and what happens when they obey or disobey. Inthis passage He gives the people a choice of blessing or curses.

(Rev. 16:5)"... You are Just in these judgments,,," sing the angels as the earth feels the wrath of God; rivers and sea die from the bowls of wrath poured out on land and sea.

The altar responds, (Rev. 16:7)"... yes, Lord God Almighty, true and Just are your judgments."

We have just seen (Rev. 14) the harvest of the earth- God's wrath is trampling the 'grapes' of the earth with blood flowing out "rising as high as the horses' bridles" for a distance of 1,600 stadia(football fields). That's a lot of blood!

Wait a minute, where is God's love? Where is is 'goodness' of God? Where is the kindness of God?

" Oh land, land, land," cries the prophet, Hear the word of the Lord".(Jer. 22:28) Then he goes on to say that the wrath of the Lord will follow the evildoer, even though the evildoer is one of God's chosen. The prophet is warning the people to repent or go into Babylonian captivity. Also, Isaiah preached often to them the folly of following their own ways and ignoring God. He told them that there would be consequences. If we look at history we see that the Jews, as a people, have been hunted and hounded, stricken with one hardship after another, throughout.

(1 Pet. 4:17) "For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the Gospel of God?"

Part of the Seder or Passover feast traditionally is a serving of horseradish sauce and one of an apple/nut dish. The former represents the bitterness associated with correction(or Justice) of God's people and the latter is reminiscent of the sweetness of God. The sweet dish is eaten up but often the bitter one is only tasted. We speak of God's goodness, but we don't really understand what' good' is. Ecc.7:1-5 says that the day of death is better than the day of birth, sorrow better than laughter, and so on. This is not the ravings of a meloncholy or depressed person. It is truth. When we die, we go to heaven, what better place is there to be? When we are born we are beginning a life that will be filled with hardship and despair, not just happiness, sunshine and birthday parties. Ps. 34:19: " A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all". This is sweetness. Job 5:16: "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Lord. ( This is also sweetness.) For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal."

Ah, but you say this is Old Testament, Now all God wants to do is bless and bless, we're under the blood, He wants us to be prosperous and healthy, to have an abundant life. But Jesus said, (Jn16:33) "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world."(Rom. 2"9) "There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" (Jn. 15:2) "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful". This means if we don't obey we will have trouble, and if we do obey we will be pruned. This too is sweetness. But pruning isn't fun, although it is necessary for growth. So God cuts away at the parts of us that don't look like Jesus. We shall be made blameless for the day of His coming, because God is Just He is removing the impurities from His people!

Lord, I want to be like Jesus, help me to stop complaining when you do a work in me that hurts or seems unpleasant, Show me how to be obedient so that I will please you. In Jesus' name. Amen

What does Bruce Lee...

have to do with this post?

"To fight with another is wrong but to lose a fight over principles you deem honorable and right is worse"

Gentle reader,

Did you enjoy Rabbi Del? I hope that you did. I ran into another dear friend through the Internet . Doctor J. D. Watson a mentor of mine when I first started in the ministry. J.D. was also a 2nd degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and we use to put on our tobok's  (uniforms) and spar (free fight- not the stuff you see on T.V.  but the real stuff that legends come from. Like the time (I told you in a previous post-look it up) when Bruce Lee and I stood toe to toe and exchanged punches (I was fast back then but in the time it took me to throw one Bruce threw three).

 Now don't ask me what the j.D. stands for as I don't know. but you can go to his web site and read for your self.  We had been talking about the word Amen

And what it means (really means) and it comes from the Hebrew The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related -- in fact, almost identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful.Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust and confidence It is the word used of God and means if I understand correctly that it is God who is faithful not man but God and to believe God means to amen Him. In others words when you read in the Book of Ephesians in the second chapter and the 10th verse "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." It is God who is working in you and what we need to do is to believe that what he started in you he will finish! "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" Book of Philippians Chapter 2 verse 13 So what we we need to do Gentle Reader, is walk with God Amos 3:3 "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" And just believe that God will finish in you what He started., We don't need to work but walk with HIM.  That's my message, Love, Denis "To busy for me?"- God

 

Trurh about Israel

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces." For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
(Psalms 122:6-9 NAS)


All eyes and ears are on the Land of Israel. Believers and nonbelievers alike are wondering what is going to happen to this place that many call the “Holy Land”. Many are looking to the news media to give them answers concerning what is taking place in the Land where the God of Israel has put His Name (I Kings 11:36; II Chronicles 6:6). The difficulty is that if we only get our information from secular media sources, we are not getting the whole truth concerning current events and we can easily lose sight of the awesome Plan that God has for His Land and His People.

One of the dangers of only getting our information from television and/or newspapers is that it could lead us to judge matters with earthly wisdom instead of by the Spirit of Almighty God. We need to go to the only true and reliable source and get our facts and that is the Word of God. For the Word of the Almighty is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12 NAS). Now let us take a look at what the Word says about Israel.

From the beginning of Creation, in Genesis, we find the struggle over inheritance between Abraham’s two sons; the battle then and now is between Isaac, the son of promise and Ishmael, the son of the slave women, (Genesis 15 & 16; Galatians 4:21-31). The covenant that God gave to Abraham says:

Psalm 105:6-11
O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance." (NAS)

Amos 9:14-15
"Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.” “I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them," Says the LORD your God. (NAS)

The fight through history, even through this present time, has always been over who will inherit the Promised Land. We find in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible which expound Gods teaching and instructions) a prophetic picture of what will happen to Israel -- past, present and future. Deuteronomy foretold of what would happen to the Land of Israel.

Deuteronomy 29:22-24
Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it, will say, "All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath." (NAS).

The Promise Land today is exactly like it was described in Deuteronomy. The land is desolate and a barren wasteland compared to the land that was flowing with milk and honey when the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River. Why did this happen?

Why was the Land laid waste?

Deuteronomy 29: 25-29
Then men will say, "Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."

"They went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them. "Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.' ""The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. (NAS)

Israel sinned against God, they chose cursing instead of blessings. They were disobedient to God and the covenant He made with them on Mt. Sinai. They defiled the land with their idols, and they were dispersed among the nations. They were scattered among the ethnos (nations) and had no place to call their own. They were cast into other lands until this very day.

We find that the God of Israel is a forgiving God.

Ezekiel 36:21-24
""But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. ""Therefore say to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD, ""It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. ""I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,'' declares the Lord GOD, ""when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. ""For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. (NAS)

God is going to act on behalf of the people for His Name’s sake. He will prove Himself Holy among them as He brings them back from the nations and gathers back His people called by His Name (Israel) returning them to the land Israel.

Can the world legislate peace to the nation Israel?

Zechariah 14:1-9
Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!

In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. (NAS)

We see that the Lord is going to fight this battle and His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and HE will be KING over all the earth!

There is a stirring in the hearts of the believers for Israel; the land, and His people, because the Lord is coming soon! The Father is calling us to be watchmen on the walls (Isaiah 62:1-7; 52:8-10; Jeremiah 31:6).

Isaiah 62:6-7
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (NAS)

We have a responsibility as believers in Israel’s redeemer, Yeshua Ha Machiach (Jesus the Messiah), to pray and intercede for God’s people, to proclaim what God is doing on the earth.

Coffee, Irish muffins

 

 Dear Gentle Reader,

 It's always wonderful when God brings friends back into your life. For example this week I ran across a dear friend from England Nevelle Stevens who was responsible for bringing me to London for the first of many Bible Conferences. Nevelle and his wife Hazel were just grand and treated me far better that I deserved. What Nevelle didn't tell me was that I was to be the only speaker [my subject was "Knowing God] a subject certainly to bring tears to the eyes of the strongest man. 

However I pressed on and found that the dozen or so conferences were quite informative (at least to me) for as much as I tried, and as hungry as the people were  for the Word of God they were in many cases unable to understand what I was talking about. 

These dear brothers and Sisters in Christ who loved God and His Word didn't have a clue beyond the basics and had seemly no idea how to get past the simple words to the deep things.  "The Words  of Scripture are for Children The thoughts are for men" Seed of the Women"    Arthur Custance

And so by the time we finished I had determined my path that was to teach and to preach the Word of God (The Bible) so that people could understand the grace of God.  But beyond that that people might get to know HIM.

 Love Denis    

Scripture Institute is a Biblical Research Study group. http://www.studiesinscripture.bravehost.com We are not connected with any church or denomination . Our concern is solely with the correct understanding of the Bible, as God intends.  Many Theologians, Bible teachers, Pastors, Scholars, and Students comprise and have contributed 1000's of hours to Scripture Institute.  Not all agree, Some are more conservative than others. Some are in the Vanguard in the Study of Holy Scripture. But we all agree to this one thing! "No gain has ever been made by standing still."  We believe in the GRACE and goodness of GOD and with His help we shall learn all that He wills in His good pleasure.    Our desire like Ezra of old is to "Open up the Book".  Join with us, add your name to those who truly love  the Word of God. And want to learn . (2 Tim. 2:15)

The Last Days?

" For if that last day does not occasion an entire extinction, but a change of abode only, what can be more desirable? And if it, on the other hand, destroys and absolutely puts an end to us, what can be preferable to having a deep sleep fall on us in the midst of the fatigues of life and, being thus overtaken, to sleep to eternity?"  Marcus Tullius Cicero

Gentle Reader,

With the events of VirginaTech the other day and while we pray for those who lost their lives and those who were left behind to grieve. I am reminded that we live in perilous times. The Bible speaks of "the Last days" and so I want to take a step back and look at what is going on. Do you mind?

Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [Matthew 24:4-14]

We will not start where all Bible Scholars do in the book of Matthew in the New testament. But before we do you need to know that I will not take you down the road that has been taken before we are going to take the "Road less traveled" It’s Paul that I refer to when we begin to understand the "Last Days " 2Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2TI 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2TI 3:3 Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2TI 3:4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2TI 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2TI 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

2TI 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2TI 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Just as the keynote of the balancing member 2 Timothy 2:14 -26 is the word 'approved', dokimos (2 Tim. 2:15), so the keynote of the present section

is 'disapproved' or 'reprobate', adokimos (2 Tim. 3: . The apostle opens this section with a forecast of the character of the last days. We must exercise care when meeting this expression lest we confuse things that differ. Peter quoting from Joel refers to the 'last days', but a reading of the context shows that these days immediately precede 'the great and dreadful day of the Lord' and are associated with Israel's restoration. The Lord speaks of 'the last day' six times in the Gospel according to John, and the day He refers to is the day of resurrection and judgment.

From the standpoint of the epistle to the Hebrews, 'these last days' refer to the days of Christ's first Advent (Heb. 1:2), even as John in his first epistle said:

'it is the last time' (2:1 .

It is manifest that each writer views the subject from his own point of view, Peter's 'last days' would be the last days of the dispensation associated with the Kingdom and Israel, whereas Paul's 'last days' would be the closing days of the dispensation of the Mystery.

We are concerned when we read in 2 Peter 3:3, that in the last days shall come scoffers who shall walk after their own lusts and deny the Second Coming of the Lord; but we should be still more concerned to learn that the closing days of this most favoured dispensation {GRACE} will end in apostasy parallel to the conditions of ancient paganism (for proof of this statement see later exposition), and characterized by the same dreadful motive 'after their own lusts' (2 Tim. 4:3). With such passages of Scripture written for our learning, and with the consciousness that the end of the present dispensation cannot be far off, the

reader will not be easily moved to believe that a great spiritual revival is on its way, even though such should be 'a consummation devoutly to be wished'.

In the first epistle to Timothy, the apostle had been led to speak of the outstanding character of the 'latter times', husterois kairois, 'latter seasons'. Not only is there the change of word 'days' in 2 Timothy 3 and 'seasons' in 1 Timothy 4, but also the second epistle speaks of the 'last', eschatos, 'the extreme end', whereas 1 Timothy speaks of the period that is 'left over', husteros, of the season. Consequently, the state of affairs described in the first epistle must be understood as leading up to the crisis of the second epistle. The apostasy starts in 1 Timothy 4, for the word depart' is the Greek word aphistemi from which our word 'apostasy' is derived, it marks the beginning of the movement that ends with the awful reprobation of 2 Timothy 3.

This departure from the faith is the outcome of 'giving heed to

seducing spirits and doctrines of demons' which, while including antagonism against the essentials of the Gospel, points markedly to 'spiritism', a cult that is developing with alarming rapidity and captivating millions. While 'seducing spirits' are not named in 2 Timothy 3, their fell* work is to be seen in the word translated 'perilous' times or seasons. This word 'perilous' is the Greek word chalepos, the word employed in Matthew 8:28 to describe two demon -possessed men who lived among tombs, exceeding 'fierce'.

*fell = cruel, fierce, barbarous, savage, or inhuman.

Such is the prophetic picture of the last days of this  the one in which we live - [GRACE] dispensation.

The truth forsaken, those who hold it despised or persecuted, the whole dominated by the doctrine of demons; no wonder the apostle spoke of a day

Enough for today Gentle reader, make your eyes bleed? Well I want to set the record straight. So next time you come back you’ll find less people with you reading this blog - from over 2,250 per day to  how many I’ll let you know.

Love, Denis  

"I am just one beggar showing another begar where to find bread"

 

Could this be...

Gentle Reader,
What will be the “END” will the world end with a “BANG” or a whimper? Well today let’s look at some of the beliefs that are running current around the world today.

End times beliefs in Christianity vary widely. Christian premillennialists, who believe the End Times are now, usually articulate a fairly specific timetable that climaxes in the end of the world. For some, Israel, the European Union, or the United Nations are seen as key players whose role was foretold in prophecies. Among dispensational premillennialists, there are those that believe that they will be supernaturally summoned to Heaven by God in an event called the Rapture before the tribulations prophesied in the Bible's book of Revelation take place.
'End times' may also refer simply to the passing of a particular age or long period in the relationship between man and God. Adherents to this view sometimes cite St. Paul's second letter to Timothy, and draw analogies to the late 20th/early 21st centuries.
Post-Exilic Hebrew books of prophecy such as the Book of Daniel and Book of Ezekiel are given new interpretations in this Christian tradition, while apocalyptic forecasts appear in the Judeo-Christian Sibylline Oracles and in the whole field of apocalyptic literature, which includes the Book of Revelation ascribed to John, the apocryphal Apocalypse of Peter, and the Second Book Of Esdras.
Religious movements which expect that the second coming of Christ, will be a cataclysmic event, generally called adventism, have arisen throughout the Christian era; but they became particularly common during and after the Protestant Reformation. Shakers, Emanuel Swedenborg (who considered the second coming to be symbolic, and to have occurred in 1757), and others developed entire religious systems around a central concern for the second coming of Christ, disclosed by new prophecy or special gifts of revelation. The Millerites are diverse religious groups which similarly rely upon a special gift of interpretation for fixing the date of Christ's return.
The chief difference between the nineteenth century Millerite and Adventist movements and contemporary prophecy belief is that William Miller and his followers fixed the time for the Second Coming by calendar calculations based on interpretations of the Biblical apocalypses; they originally set a date for the Second Coming in 1844. These sorts of computations also appear in some contemporary prophecy beliefs, but few contemporary End Times prophets use them to fix a date; their timetables will be triggered by future wars and moral catastrophes, and accordingly believe that God's judgment against the conflict-ridden and corrupt world is close at hand.
Dispensationalism, in contrast to the Millerite Adventist movement, got its start in the 19th century, when John Nelson Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren religious denomination, incorporated into his system of Biblical interpretation a system of organizing Biblical time into a number of discrete dispensations, each of which marks a separate covenant with God. Darby's beliefs were widely publicized in Cyrus I. Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible, an annotated Bible that became popular in the United States of America.
Since the majority of the Biblical prophets were writing at a time when Palestine was mostly Jewish, and the Temple in Jerusalem was still functioning, they wrote as if those institutions would still be in operation during the prophesied events. According to Preterism this was the very fulfillment of the prophecies. However, according to Futurists their destruction in A.D. 70 put the prophetic timetable, if there is one, on hold. Many such believers therefore anticipated the return of Jews to Palestine and the reconstruction of theTemple before the Second Coming could

The Apocalypse of John and Gospel of John are held by most current Christian scholars [ I’m am not altogether convinced that the early dating is right] to have been written at least a decade after the fall of Jerusalem in 95 AD, [ My belief is that all of the New testament was written before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.] believe especially those supportive of Dispensationalism the dominant belief in mainline American evangelicalism. But new voices within Christianity contest this claim ( Preterism) and much debate has ensued following publication of Kenneth Gentry's work Before Jerusalem Fell which argues from archaeology and ancient texts (including the Book of Revelation itself) that the book was written during the reign of Roman emperor Nero in the 60s AD.
Conservatives usually place the writing of the synoptic gospels before the fall of Jerusalem. Liberal Christians place the writing of the three other (synoptic) gospels after the fall of Jerusalem. One prominent Australian theologian from Sydney, Paul Barnett, disputes this and places the writing of John's gospel at an early date.

The Holocaust

Gentle Reader,

A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .
To love mankind is easy; to love man is hard.
We need adversity, not for the suffering it brings, but for the growth and deepened perspective that comes from it.
YOM HA'SHOAH
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." [1 Corinthians 13. 1 - 3]
A reflection as we remember and observe Holocaust Day of Memorial - May the Almighty One, blessed be He, remember forever our brothers and sisters of the House of Israel who gave their lives for the sanctification of the Divine Name.

IN HIS NAME
He wore the yellow star upon his arm
and heard the ugly taunts as he walked along.
The words he heard burned deep within his soul
as the burden of being Jewish took its toll.
His eyes reflected a sad and somber hue
as he wondered if any of these angry faces knew
that he was flesh and blood, a man like them
with fears and hopes and dreams..."O Jerusalem."
His mind returned to the dream of a Jewish homea fleeting thought...a longing no more to roam -
but his mind was quickly brought back to the present
by the ugly taunts of a group of adolescents.
The badge upon his arm, a badge of shame
forced upon the Jew to him profane,
yet little did they know that deep inside
that Star of David held for him much pride.
There was a glint of knowledge in his eye
his noble heritage passed on by the Rabbi...
his line had boasted prophets, scribes and kings
and through the Jew, GOD would Messiah bring.
It was they who were chosen above all races
to transcribe His Holy Writ in sacred places.
In this his race was faithful, they’d been true
GOD’s knowledge and His WORD came through the Jew.
It was Moses who, to GOD, talked face to face
and His Laws were passed to man by the Jewish race.
So even though his back was bowed and bent,
and even though taunts followed where ‘er he went,
his spirit, deep within, was whole and strong
for to GOD’s chosen race he did belong.
He knew inside that he was by Creator GOD blessed
that it was his Seed selected above the rest
chosen by the Almighty to be a race apart
to show the Loving-Kindness of GOD’s heart.
Just then the words "Christ Killer" reached his ear
and these words cut through his soul, invoked a tear...
a phrase he’d learned to hate, but also fearfor it meant dire consequences drew near.
And so the wall of separation grew
between the blinded Gentiles and the Jew.
As the Gentiles used our LORD as an excuse
the "Apple of HIS Eye" to persecute.
They failed to reconcile a fact they knew -
that Yeshua was Himself born a Jew.
And by no race, or man, was Yeshua killed
Yeshua gave Himself of His own free will.
But the Gentiles yet, still fail to understand
Yeshua gave up His life at His own command.
It wasn’t the Jew, oh don’t you see
Yeshua hung Himself upon that tree.
He sacrificed Himself in benefit of man
to remove their sin, their final Passover Lamb.
So how can the Gentile continue to blame the Jew
when Yeshua’s precious blood has cleansed them too.
Please stand with me and with the State of Israel this Yom ha'Shoah as we pray that peace finally will come to Israel, the Jewish people and the world.
As we remember the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust this "Yom ha'Shoah" (Holocaust Remembrance Day) we can also remember those listed in Hebrews 11 --the "Hall of Faith" chapter and be reminded how precious life that is lived for the Almighty One is, blessed be He. May we, like the Apostle Paul say, "in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." [Philippians 1. 20 - 21]

Free the "DOG"

"You shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall make you free"- Jesus

Gentle Reader,

You know by now that I will stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves. But when there are wrongs to be righted and justice to be had (in this country harder to find all the time). I must protest against one of my brother in Christ being sold out...By enemies? Oh, no Gentle Reader but by our own government (I think)

Do you recognize "DOG" the bounty hunter?  here is a petition that Marti and I signed and a web site where you may add your voice to the unjust treatment of one of your own. Now get busy and read! sign the petition and vote for those who stand for truth!

http://www.dogthebountyhunter.com/

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

We, the undersigned Members of the Senate and House of Representatives for the United States of America respectfully call upon you to consider the following request on behalf of United States citizens Duane "Dog" Chapman, Leland Chapman and Tim Chapman.

WHEREAS, justice is a determinant of the sovereign political systems of all nations, and international disputes arise when two jurisdictions conflict or fail to agree upon the best course of action; and

WHEREAS, a present legal proceeding exists between the United States and Mexico surrounding the action of the three Chapmans, who in June of 2003, participated in the apprehension of a convicted American rapist, Andrew Luster, in Mexico (with the supervision of a person the Chapmans reasonably believed was a Mexican police officer), and who then were detained in Mexico while proceeding to a Mexican police station to deliver Luster to the proper authorities; and

WHEREAS, Luster was a convicted felon who had fled as an escapee from the California Department of Corrections six months earlier by jumping $1 million bail on charges that he drugged and raped three women; he was also on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list, convicted and sentenced to a term of 124 years of imprisonment in absentia for 86 counts of rape, drug and weapons offenses; and
WHEREAS, Luster's disappearance commenced an international manhunt by police, FBI and bounty hunters; and

WHEREAS, Mexico has requested extradition of the three Chapmans charging them with the minor crime of "deprivation of liberty" for participating in the location and apprehension of the fugitive rapist; and

WHEREAS, the Chapmans were arrested in their Hawaii homes in September, 2006 by U.S. Marshals and were freed on bail, and have been pending extradition to Mexico, where if convicted, they could be required to spend from six months to four years in a Mexican jail; and

WHEREAS, Luster is now serving a 124-year sentence in California; and

WHEREAS, the Chapmans have never been compensated for Luster's apprehension; and

WHEREAS, the Chapmans believed they could locate and participate in the apprehension of Luster based on the fact that Luster had entered Mexico under a false name, and because of the presence and assistance of a person the Chapmans reasonably believed was a Mexican police officer; and,

WHEREAS, the Chapmans never had any intent to violate either Mexican law or challenge its sovereignty; and

WHEREAS, the Chapmans have offered to apologize to the Mexican government for any perceived breach of sovereignty; now, therefore:

WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST that the above-named officials of the Mexican Government and Judiciary dismiss the pending charges against the Chapmans and withdraw the request for their extradition, and allow this international dispute to be amicably resolved by virtue of the justice that has been served in the United States and in Mexico against rapist Andrew Luster by the good faith actions of United States citizens Duane "Dog" Chapman, Leland Chapman and Tim Chapman.
Respectfully Yours,

(Members of Congress Listed)

Cc: President George W. Bush
Madame. Secretary Condoleeza Rice

Let's make a difference in the way people of all races and creeds are treated.

 After all Gentle reader, you don't want to have any regrets now do you?

Denis

Stand up America!

Have you ever known a time when there was so much talk about ethics -- or so little practice of it?
	Thomas Sowell 1930—

Gentle Reader,

"Truth is sometimes corrupted; conjecture can become mistaken for fact; nonsense somehow becomes enshrined in the annals of our collective wisdom,"  "Things get repeated not because they are based upon truth, but because they sound good."

 A Pedant is "a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules, or with displaying academic learning," . "It's right to be pedantic when the truth itself is at stake,"  Therefore, "Next time you are tempted to pass on received wisdom, consider where it's come from and just how wise it is. If it's from a commercial for breakfast cereal, think again."

It's because that we sit back and let people who should not do what they do and then we complain because they do it ! "What are you talking about Denis?" Well, Gentle reader, how about your rights as a  sentient being on this planet!

Where does this philosophy come from that says "There are no absolutes, there is no right or wrong!"

 Does the unborn have a right to life? What about Children who are abused by parents, teachers, strangers yes and even priests. Are these children who are so small and defenseless right-less also?

 Not to me! Nor the homeless, or the hungry, or the poor or the elderly or the sick and helpless!

They are after all brother and sisters in the Human race! Stand up for what right Gentle Reader, before your right to speak and take a stand on moral issues and values no longer exist and you become one of the people that "do not exist to the rest of world!

That's my message

Denis

 

 

Time Gentle Time

I stand for

Equity!

Meaning: the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality: the equity of Solomon. 

 

Gentle Reader,

In the Book of Ecclesiastes (of Solomon)
 Solomon says...Vanity of Vanities

Ecclesiastes: Everything under the Sun is Vanity of Vanities (1:14, 2:11), nothing on earth will make us happy...

Well, perhaps that was true then but what about now? I see injustice all around us Gentle Reader, and those who have been in trusted with our safety or health have abdicated their responsibility. Doctors are allowing themselves to be dictated to by Insurance companies. Pharmaceuticals Companies add poison to our medicine that are worse than our diseases.

Next we have state officials that would rather build great stadiums than take care of the citizens they swore to protect.

And then there are the poor- homeless, hungry, no health care forced to live in abject poverty, eating the worst food and living in the worst conditions Violence in the streets, children stolen, sold, and abused beyond your wildest imagination.

Innocent people murdered, lied to and ripped off by those who should give an account for themselves.

Government (at all levels) has been playing "politics as usual" !

Where did this take place? In some far off country know only to God? Sadly Gentle Reader, Alas, I must state that I am talking about the United States of America.

What will happen Next?

That is of course, up to you America, You must decide the direction your country will take. From the Local Level , in every business, company and elected official to the highest position in private business to the Highest Political office in the Land. From Judges to Senators from CEO"S to everyone in between .

What are you to do Gentle reader, How then should we live?

"Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert JUSTICE?" (Book of Job Chapter 8 verse 3)

"JUSTICE and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face." (Psalm 89: verse 14)

 Until God comes to sweep the place clean and to right wrongs that have been done to you Gentle Reader, I will not keep quiet nor should you!

Denis (BTW This is what is important in America in my opinion) What's your opinion?  

 

 

 

 

The Answer

Gentle Readers,

I want us to briefly consider the unsettling wording of a prayer of the Son of God, Jesus. Notice the confidence that Jesus had in His Father to answer all of His prayers.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me [John 11:41-42].

The Father always heard and answered the prayers of His Son, Jesus. So, if we come to a prayer that Jesus uttered to His Father and have questions about it being answered, we must always believe that the Father answered every prayer of His Son, Jesus. This must be settled once and for all.

The words that are so unsettling are about the cup that He was to drink. Jesus spoke of His death as drinking of a cup. This cup was the cup of suffering and death. What an imposing cup to drink of. It is the cup of God’s will concerning dying. This death is a choice, like the choice to drink a cup of anything. If the Will of God is for Jesus to drink, then the choice is settled once and for all. Jesus will drink of this cup.

But Jesus answered and said, "Ye (disciples) know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup (of suffering and death) that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" [Matthew 20:22].

Jesus speaks of the cup of suffering and death to His disciples. The way it is discussed, it seems to be a choice for them also. One can choose to drink of it or not. Later on Jesus tells Peter that He has chosen the Father’s will, to drink of the suffering of death.

Then said Jesus unto Peter, "Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup, which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" [John 18:11].

In the garden, where Jesus had gone to pray many times, he now prays several times and feels that His body is under too much pressure to survive. Knowing that He "must be lifted up" in order to draw all men unto Him, He knows that He cannot die in the garden. He must be lifted upon a cross to die. Notice that He prays for God to make the cup of suffering and death (in the garden) to pass from Him.

Then saith He unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." And He went a little farther, and fell on His face and prayed saying, "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou will." [Matthew 26:38-39

As we have already taught that God always heard His prayers, we know that the cup did pass from Him that night before His arrest, trial and crucifixion. However, upon the cross, the next day, He says, "I thirst." The time to drink the cup had come and Jesus is ready and willing. In knowing the Father’s will, He had set His face like a flint to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. The writer of Hebrews gives us the fact that the Father heard the prayers of His Son, Jesus. So, the cup passed from Him that night.

Who in the days of His flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered [Hebrews 5:7-8].

The prayer of "Why hast thou forsaken me?" has also been answered. After Jesus prayed for "Why?" God inspired men to write the New Testament, giving the answer of "why" Christ, the Son of God was forsaken by God. The Author of Scripture answered the request of the Author of Salvation.

Who Killed Christ?

Jerusalem Bears Witness to the Greatest Story By Sarah Pollak
CBN News
CWNews.com–-JERUSALEM - Jerusalem itself bears witness to the greatest story ever told; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Two thousand year old olive trees still thrive in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized before his death.
An ancient Roman road leads from the Kidron Valley up to the house of Caiphas, the Jewish high priest.
Stones from the fortress of Pontus Pilate bear the marks of a Roman soldier's game called "King for a Day." The impact of the last days of Jesus Christ and His disciples changed the world when according to the Bible; Jesus became the Passover lamb to atone for the sins of the world.
While some try to undermine the story, many biblical scholars say the life and death of Jesus is a matter of historical record.
Darrell Bock, professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary points to the Jewish historian Josephus.
Bock said, "Josephus [wrote] the book called Antiquities…Book 18; section 61-64 describes briefly the life of Jesus. Now, some of what he said is disputed because of whether or not it goes back to him, but the part that is not disputed is that Jesus was crucified by Pontus Pilate, and that it was the Jewish leadership that was responsible for bringing Him to crucifixion. And those were the base facts that correlate very nicely with the Biblical story."
The biblical story runs through this road called the Via Dolorosa or as it's called in English 'The Way of the Cross.' It marks the path from where Pontus Pilate sent Jesus to be crucified at Golgotha, the site of the Crucifixion. But in addition to Pontus Pilate, there's archeological evidence of other people involved in the Passion of Jesus, like Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross of Jesus.
"Both Simon of Cyrene, the father of Rufus and Alexander according to the Gospel of Mark and Caiphas, who was high priest at the time of Jesus who oversaw His Jewish trial are both independently,” said Claire Pfann, an expert in early Christianity. “Now it's very interesting to think that when you're looking at this event that happened on one weekend in Jerusalem nearly 2, 000 years ago, that three of the people that played significant roles in that, and who are recorded in documentary evidence, are also attested to archeologically."
Beyond archeology, Father Jerry Murphy O'Connor, who's studied the Apostle Paul and the early apostles, believes those closest to Jesus - most who died for the faith - would not have given their lives for a lie.
Murphy said, "We can rest our faith on the resurrection of Jesus because that was the belief of His disciples, the ones who knew Him, the ones who traveled with Him. The ones who were the witnesses of the appearances, that meant He was alive. They were the witnesses of the empty tomb, that meant there was no body, that's why they had to say He was Risen from the dead."

"I think we also cannot also set aside the fact that Paul understands this to be a bodily resurrection,” Pfann said. “He says that if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is pointless, in vain and everything we are doing is futile. I don't think that Paul is talking about some visionary, spiritual manifestation resurrection. He's talking about a literal, physical resurrection."
While some might say that our belief in the Resurrection relies on faith alone, some scholars believe we have evidence that demands a verdict.
"We hear the same thing from even the pagan sources about the story that accompanies Christianity and what we find today is that these are all being questioned again,” said Stephen Pfann. “... But it's great to have things like the ossuary of Caiphas, of Simon of Cyrene, to bear witness to the fact that these stories are not just fabrication, but they really are based on historical fact."
Ken Trestrail, a guide at Jerusalem's Garden Tomb says the greatest benefit of the Resurrection is what Jesus does for every man's soul.
Trestrail said, "The moment in time we do business with Him, He takes us in our arms, His blood will deal with our sin problem. And He lifts us out of time and He plants our fate with His in the Heavenlies. Here's good news in a day of bad news. Two thousand years ago, death couldn't hold Jesus and two thousand years on, death won't hold those of us who die in Christ Jesus."
But perhaps the greatest proof of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ lies beyond the Old City walls of Jerusalem.

Resurrection

Gentle Readers,

When the apostle Paul tells us to remember Jesus Christ as risen, he is not playing linguistic games with us. He is not affirming the birth of the church as the resurrection body of Jesus. He is not figuratively describing how the disciples "caught" the contagious freedom of Jesus. He is not merely employing a metaphor from his Jewish eschatological expectation to indicate the trans-historical significance of Jesus as the final revelation of God. No, he is affirming the plain literal fact of God's raising him from among the dead, a resurrection that left an empty tomb.

It is because what one scholar has labeled "the evasions of modern theology" have become so depressingly common that I find so striking and so eloquent some lines from a most unlikely source–an Easter poem by the contemporary novelist, John Updike.

Make no mistake: if He rose at all
it was as His body;
if the cells' dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle,
the Church will fall.
It was not as the flowers,
each soft Spring recurrent;
it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled eyes of the eleven apostles;
it was as His flesh: ours.
The same hinged thumbs and toes,
the same valved heartthat–pierced–died, withered, paused, and then regathered out of enduring Might
new strength to enclose.
Let us not mock God with metaphor,
analogy, sidestepping, transcendence;
making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages:
let us walk through the door.
The stone is rolled back, not papier-mache,
not a stone in a story,
but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow grinding of time will eclipse for each of us
the wide light of day.
And if there is an angel at the tomb,
make it a real angel,
weighty with Max Planck's quanta, vivid with hair, opaque in the dawn light, robed in real linen
spun on a definite loom.
Let us not seek to make it less monstrous
for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty,
lest awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are embarrassed by the miracle,
and crushed by remonstrance.

("Seven Stanzas at Easter," written for a religious arts festival sponsored by the Clifton Lutheran Church of Marble head, Massachusetts.)

And yet we must not be so absorbed in defending the concrete, historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus, as the raising of that body that was placed in the tomb, that we fail to appreciate the newness and the glory of that new realm of existence into which Christ entered in his resurrection. As Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 15, the first Adam, and all the children of Adam, have known an existence altogether on the level of psyche–natural, this-age life. But the second Adam has been raised to a new realm, the realm of the pneuma, the life of the spirit, of the Age to Come, a new order of existence the nature of which we can hardly imagine given the severe limitations of our present vision.

Yes, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this world in which we live is not the only world. And this is not the only age. And with the resurrection of Jesus Christ the end of this age has already begun. The future is now!

Never Fear, Christ has not left you alone He is a real as you or I. He lives within each of us "

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the LIFE which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Paul in the book of Galatians Chapter 2 verse 20

Easter!

Gentle Readers,
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ at this wonderful resurrection time of year. Everywhere people are talking about the Truth that He is Risen! Everywhere nature is singing the resurrection song as new life emerges from what was once dead. Seeds begin to germinate, trees shoot forth new leaves, animals bring forth their young, all of nature shows clearly He is Risen!
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: After being seen by the Apostles and hundreds of the brethren He ascended far above all and gave sign gifts to His Apostles so that many miracles were done by their hands in an effort to call His people Israel to a national repentance for crucifying their Messiah with the promise:

Acts 3:19 Repent (Change your direction or change your mind) ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you :

Yes, they were promised that if they as a nation [as you are today in the world]would repent of rejecting and killing Him {All men everywhere are responsible } and would accept and believe on Him that God would send their Messiah again in their lifetimes, that Jesus Christ would return and the time of refreshing would come, the promised Kingdom of Heaven. But alas though many believed the nation refused to repent and by the end of the Book of Acts at Acts 28:28 Israel was set aside until the time of the end.

Christians everywhere continued to believe on the risen Savior but many lost sight of where Christ Jesus is today and just what our hope really is. Religious leaders quickly changed the hope from the coming of the Lord to a going to meet the Lord in a way that is foreign to Scripture. With something so important as the `blessed hope' of the Church we feel there is no better time of the year to look carefully at what God's Word teaches so that:

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places ,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,{the gathering of believers not a building or a denomination}

Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that falleth all in all.

Is the `blessed hope' of the Church to be found in 1 Thessalonians 4, or in Matthew 24, or in some other part of Scripture? It is impossible to answer these questions until we have decided the preliminary question as to which church is in view. Hope cannot stand alone and unrelated. We must hope for SOMETHING or SOMEONE, and, if it is to be fulfilled, the hope must have a scriptural basis. Whatever our calling, whether that of the Body, the Bride, or the Kingdom, we can all say that `we look for the Savior', but when we come to examine the calling of those represented by the pronoun `we' it becomes necessary to `try the things that differ'.

If Israel became Loammi (`Not My People', Hos. 1:9) at Acts 28, and if a new church then came into being under the new terms of the administration of the Mystery (Eph. 3:1-13), it is reasonable to expect a difference in the hope to be entertained by this new company. It is not, however, the apparent reasonableness of an argument but `What saith the Scripture?' that demands the believer's assent. We therefore ask your earnest attention to the evidence from God's Word.

Crockpot

"If we do not help a man in trouble, it is as if we caused the trouble."




Gentle Reader,

For today's offering let's mix some Irish stew in a crock pot and see what we have.

Take one fat congress and add pork barrel (give to those who need it not at all). Forget about those millions who went to bed hungry last night. Or the children abused while our Government talks about things other than the safety of our smallest little ones goes with help!

"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience."
-- George Washington


Next, take the top models add sex and degradation of women by a woman target our most impressionable teens (girls) and show how they can be abused also (lessons for the sex offender?) and ignore the fact that rapes have increased by 300% in the last 10 years (neither political party wants to deal with that!) Let's throw in the killing of babies for convenience sake!

Now add those who want the highest office in the land and are not decent enough people to say "I was wrong about sending your children off to a war that we had no intention of even trying to win!" Both political parties did this and no one who sits in Washington D. C. is innocent. And you gentle reader, sat in the comfort of your living rooms and let those who are supposed to represent you get away with (what shall we call the slaughter of innocents?) how about genocide. The killing of our best and greatest hope!

When will we wake up, speak up, and act as responsible citizens and vote them all out of office??

And just a dash of teacher, abusing students to make a good mix. Mad? You can take it to the bank (which will foreclose on your house in the morning)

Will you wait until God says as we do in the pubs "Time Gentlemen Time!"

Just my opinion, just one man's perspective.

Denis
>


Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature. Benjamin Franklin (1760)

It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not by religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here. Patrick Henry (1765)

If you ask an American, Who is your master? He will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ. Jonathan Trumbull (1770) governor of Connecticut

While I do live, let me have a country, and that of a free country! John Adams (1776)

Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. Samuel Adams (1776)

To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to laud the more distinguished Character of Christian... It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. George Washington (1776)

Religion is deemed in other countries incompatible with good government and yet proved by our experience to be its best support... Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and His justice cannot sleep forever. Thomas Jefferson (1781)

Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. American is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. Alexis de Tocqueville (1831)

The Bible is the Rock upon which our republic rests. Andrew Jackson (1845)

In God We Trust. Abraham Lincoln (1865) his last act as President was to have the inscription placed upon all the national coin

The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. John F Kennedy (1961)

Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic, expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be. Gerald Ford (1974)

Life is a game?

Would you like to play a Game?

 Gentle Reader,

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things 'in order', she called her pastor and asked for him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible in her left hand. Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her. "Please Pastor, just one more thing," she said excitedly. "Sure, what is it?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important to me," the woman continued ... "I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand." The pastor gazed at the woman, at a loss for words.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. The pastor replied "Well to be quite honest, I am puzzled by the request".

The woman explained. "You see, Pastor, in all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would inevitably lean over to me and say, 'Keep your fork' ... it was my favorite part of the meal because I knew that something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful to end the meal!"

The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face. The woman continued, "So, I just want people to see me there with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ... 'What's with the fork'... then I want you to tell them: "Keep your Fork ... the best is yet to come".

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew that this would be one of the last times that he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of Heaven than he did.

She knew and trusted that the best was yet to come. At the funeral, every one that walked by the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand.

Over and over the pastor heard people ask the question, "Why is she holding a fork?" and his smile began to get larger and brighter each time. During his message, the pastor told the people about the conversation that he had with the woman shortly before she died. He explained the fork and what it symbolized to her. The Pastor told everyone how he could not stop thinking about the fork and how he hoped that they would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

So the next time you reach for your fork, let it remind you, oh so gently, that the best is yet to come ........

Love,

Denis "when you come to a fork in the road take it!" Yogi Berra

Foundations

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Seed; He shall strike at your head, and you shall strike at His heel." [Genesis 3. 15 Tanakh, Torah]

When Adam and Eve rebelled and transgressed against Elohiym in the Garden of Eden, CREATOR Elohiym pronounced a curse on all creation; [Genesis 3. 14 – 19] death came into the world at that point. However, the Almighty One also told of the One to come WHO would be the Redeemer\Saviour.

The genealogy in Genesis 5 lists the names of the pre-flood patriarchs from Adam to Noah. Adam means man; Seth - appointed; Enosh - mortal; Cainan - sorrow or humiliation; Mahalaleel - blessed of GOD; Jared - shall come down; Enoch - teaching or dedicated; Methuselah - his death shall bring or judgment; Lamech - despairing, weary or conqueror; Noah - comfort or rest.

The meaning of the names form a redemptive sentence when read together:
"A MAN is Appointed to become a Mortal; in sorrow, blessed of GOD, HE shall come down to teach. And, His death will bring despair; then, comfort and rest."
Or: "Mankind is appointed to mortality, wailing for the dead. God be praised! He shall descend, a mortal man, dismissing death, bring rest to the weary."
Or even: "Mankind is appointed to mortality, bringing humiliation (sorrow). GOD be praised! He shall descend, a dedicated Man. When He dies as judgment, He will conquer, bringing comfort and rest."

The Plan of Salvation was made before the world began. "He indeed was predetermined before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." [1 Peter 1. 20] "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." [Ephesians 1. 3 - 4] "In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to be born of woman, under the Law." [Galatians 4. 4]

There has never been a time when the Almighty Holy Creator, Lord GOD Omnipotent has forsaken His creation. Mankind would do well to learn such love and in return, appropriately give Him the honour, glory, majesty, blessings and adoration He is worthy of.