Randy Green's Blog, page 493
December 27, 2011
Gifts and Givers - Part 2
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right and expectation to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right and expectation to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 26, 2011
Gifts and Givers - Part 1
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 25, 2011
Who’s Your Daddy Now? – Part 3
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” [Luke 1:35].
Ah, now we’ve finished sipping on the milk and gone to eating solid meat. Ever since Genesis 2 God has ordained that the man is the head and the woman the helpmate. In God’s economy the inheritance goes through the male, not the female. Hence the children are reckoned according to the genealogy of the father. This means that the normal order of things was to refer to the kids as the “seed of the man”.
By bypassing a human father via the virgin birth, the Lord bypassed the propogation of a sin nature in this unique baby. Ergo, the baby boy was without a sin nature because He was God and because His Father was God and not man. But His mother Miriam was 100% human female, thus providing Him with the true human nature of mankind. Jesus is the God-man.
This fitted Jesus to be the Savior from sin for all mankind. On the one hand He needn’t die because He had no sin of His own for which to die—the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from sin there would be no penalty for which to die. However, Jesus willing went to the cross and did die. Seeing how this was not for His own sin , it allowed His death as the God-man to be reckoned as payment for the sins of each human being.
And there we have it! The absolute need for, and importance of, the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There is only one thing missing. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, does this mean all mankind will go to heaven?
Sorry, Charlie, but it ain’t gonna happen (pardon my French). Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved [Acts 2:21]. To receive Jesus’ finished work on my behalf, I have to call upon Him and ask for it. To do that I have to hear the Gospel message, believe it in my head, and open my mouth to proclaim it (cf., Romans 10:9). This is known as Biblical faith. Faith is the key which opens the door to salvation.
At this wonderful time of year, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone called upon the name of the Lord? I did back in 1978 and have been thrilled I did so ever since. We cannot call upon the name of the Lord for anyone but ourselves…but we can do so for ourselves. Have you done so yet? Don’t waste time. Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Ah, now we’ve finished sipping on the milk and gone to eating solid meat. Ever since Genesis 2 God has ordained that the man is the head and the woman the helpmate. In God’s economy the inheritance goes through the male, not the female. Hence the children are reckoned according to the genealogy of the father. This means that the normal order of things was to refer to the kids as the “seed of the man”.
By bypassing a human father via the virgin birth, the Lord bypassed the propogation of a sin nature in this unique baby. Ergo, the baby boy was without a sin nature because He was God and because His Father was God and not man. But His mother Miriam was 100% human female, thus providing Him with the true human nature of mankind. Jesus is the God-man.
This fitted Jesus to be the Savior from sin for all mankind. On the one hand He needn’t die because He had no sin of His own for which to die—the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from sin there would be no penalty for which to die. However, Jesus willing went to the cross and did die. Seeing how this was not for His own sin , it allowed His death as the God-man to be reckoned as payment for the sins of each human being.
And there we have it! The absolute need for, and importance of, the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There is only one thing missing. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, does this mean all mankind will go to heaven?
Sorry, Charlie, but it ain’t gonna happen (pardon my French). Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved [Acts 2:21]. To receive Jesus’ finished work on my behalf, I have to call upon Him and ask for it. To do that I have to hear the Gospel message, believe it in my head, and open my mouth to proclaim it (cf., Romans 10:9). This is known as Biblical faith. Faith is the key which opens the door to salvation.
At this wonderful time of year, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone called upon the name of the Lord? I did back in 1978 and have been thrilled I did so ever since. We cannot call upon the name of the Lord for anyone but ourselves…but we can do so for ourselves. Have you done so yet? Don’t waste time. Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 24, 2011
Who’s your daddy now? – Part 2
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” [Luke 1:35].
The angel appeared to Miriam and announced that she was about to become pregnant. Before marital bliss could occur in Israel back in the day, a wedding ceremony had to transpire. And before a wedding ceremony could come to pass, an engagement period was required which lasted for a year give or take. But Miriam wasn’t even engaged yet, let alone married. So how could she legally under the Law of Moses become pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.
So she asked the angel for an answer. The angel responded with the words which we quoted at the start of this post. Take a gander over yonder and reread them now, please. I’ll wait while you do so. We will spend our time on them today.
Making legitimate babies requires four things:
• a husband
• a wife
• a miracle from the Lord
• a baby
Guess what? We find all four identified in Luke 1:35, with a legitimate baby being the result. First the husband: The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Next the wife: will come upon you, and… will overshadow you (“you” being Miriam). Third the miracle from the Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Last the baby: the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Voilà! the four needed ingredients mixed together in one single verse.
Now let us assay the ramifications of this particular baby. On the one hand was a 100% human mother, on the other 100% pure God. The combination of the two parents resulted in a most unique baby. This young’un was both God and man simultaneously…and permanently thenceforth.
Oh, but there’s more. Whereas Miriam was a virgin pure and simple, this was a most unusual case of childbirth. We know it as the virgin birth of Jesus. This is one of the most astounding doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a very good reason: it was absolutely essential in God’s plan for mankind! Back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, man sinned and God sentenced him for his sin. But God also promised him deliverance from his sin, viz., the seed of the woman.
These are some yummy morsels to chew on awhile. Let’s pause now and return to our topic in the next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The angel appeared to Miriam and announced that she was about to become pregnant. Before marital bliss could occur in Israel back in the day, a wedding ceremony had to transpire. And before a wedding ceremony could come to pass, an engagement period was required which lasted for a year give or take. But Miriam wasn’t even engaged yet, let alone married. So how could she legally under the Law of Moses become pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.
So she asked the angel for an answer. The angel responded with the words which we quoted at the start of this post. Take a gander over yonder and reread them now, please. I’ll wait while you do so. We will spend our time on them today.
Making legitimate babies requires four things:
• a husband
• a wife
• a miracle from the Lord
• a baby
Guess what? We find all four identified in Luke 1:35, with a legitimate baby being the result. First the husband: The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Next the wife: will come upon you, and… will overshadow you (“you” being Miriam). Third the miracle from the Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Last the baby: the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Voilà! the four needed ingredients mixed together in one single verse.
Now let us assay the ramifications of this particular baby. On the one hand was a 100% human mother, on the other 100% pure God. The combination of the two parents resulted in a most unique baby. This young’un was both God and man simultaneously…and permanently thenceforth.
Oh, but there’s more. Whereas Miriam was a virgin pure and simple, this was a most unusual case of childbirth. We know it as the virgin birth of Jesus. This is one of the most astounding doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a very good reason: it was absolutely essential in God’s plan for mankind! Back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, man sinned and God sentenced him for his sin. But God also promised him deliverance from his sin, viz., the seed of the woman.
These are some yummy morsels to chew on awhile. Let’s pause now and return to our topic in the next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 23, 2011
Who’s Your Daddy Now? – Part 1
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” [Luke 1:35].
Once upon a time there was this young Jewish maiden of lowly estate. Her name was Miriam of the tribe of Judah. Well, a strange thing happened to her on the way to bed one night. Would you believe an honest to goodness angel from heaven appeared to her? Yes, he did! What do you mean, “No, he did not!” Did so.
Anyway, Miriam was taken aback. Don’t ask me why. Just because she was a young lass of probably 14 years old or thereabouts and all alone in the dark, that was no reason for her to get all scaredy cat on us. Well, maybe it was. Nowadays we are so numbed at the unusual by TV and movie syfy, that we no longer have the good sense to get scared out of our gourd should a strange man appear to us glowing in the dark.
But Miriam had no TV set. She was broke and couldn’t afford one. Besides, no one bothered to invent a TV set yet, so the malls and internet wholesalers didn’t carry them. Come to think of it, there weren’t any malls or internet back then either. Those guys didn’t bother to invent anything, it would seem! But enough of this. Let’s exit Digression Boulevard and return to Miriam, shall we?
She saw this glowing alien and her knees began knocking rather loudly. So the alien attempted to comfort her with gentle words. He said, “Fear not, Miriam!” Unfortunately, but the alien was not accustomed to life on earth and mere mortals with sensitive ears. When he spoke those words, the walls of Miriam’s lowly abode rattled and shook fiercely. She well-nigh leaped out of her nightie!
So the alien, er, I mean angel, started over. He whispered in very small, soft words, “Don’t be afraid, little lass. You’re going to have a baby boy soon.”
Miriam was no longer afraid. Now she was offended! After all, she wasn’t a trollop. She wasn’t easy. She was a deeply godly young lady. She was saving herself for her future husband, she wanted that alien to know. How dare this alien, er, I mean angel, accuse her of being promiscuous! Why the nerve of this, this, this…whatever he is! Miriam retorted, “You lunatic! I’m a virgin, and virgins don’t have babies! Didn’t your mama ever teach you about the birds and the bees?”
In reply the angel uttered the remarkable words we quoted at the beginning of this post. In our next post we will continue this fantastically wonderful saga.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Once upon a time there was this young Jewish maiden of lowly estate. Her name was Miriam of the tribe of Judah. Well, a strange thing happened to her on the way to bed one night. Would you believe an honest to goodness angel from heaven appeared to her? Yes, he did! What do you mean, “No, he did not!” Did so.
Anyway, Miriam was taken aback. Don’t ask me why. Just because she was a young lass of probably 14 years old or thereabouts and all alone in the dark, that was no reason for her to get all scaredy cat on us. Well, maybe it was. Nowadays we are so numbed at the unusual by TV and movie syfy, that we no longer have the good sense to get scared out of our gourd should a strange man appear to us glowing in the dark.
But Miriam had no TV set. She was broke and couldn’t afford one. Besides, no one bothered to invent a TV set yet, so the malls and internet wholesalers didn’t carry them. Come to think of it, there weren’t any malls or internet back then either. Those guys didn’t bother to invent anything, it would seem! But enough of this. Let’s exit Digression Boulevard and return to Miriam, shall we?
She saw this glowing alien and her knees began knocking rather loudly. So the alien attempted to comfort her with gentle words. He said, “Fear not, Miriam!” Unfortunately, but the alien was not accustomed to life on earth and mere mortals with sensitive ears. When he spoke those words, the walls of Miriam’s lowly abode rattled and shook fiercely. She well-nigh leaped out of her nightie!
So the alien, er, I mean angel, started over. He whispered in very small, soft words, “Don’t be afraid, little lass. You’re going to have a baby boy soon.”
Miriam was no longer afraid. Now she was offended! After all, she wasn’t a trollop. She wasn’t easy. She was a deeply godly young lady. She was saving herself for her future husband, she wanted that alien to know. How dare this alien, er, I mean angel, accuse her of being promiscuous! Why the nerve of this, this, this…whatever he is! Miriam retorted, “You lunatic! I’m a virgin, and virgins don’t have babies! Didn’t your mama ever teach you about the birds and the bees?”
In reply the angel uttered the remarkable words we quoted at the beginning of this post. In our next post we will continue this fantastically wonderful saga.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 22, 2011
It’s Christmas. I’m Inspired! – Part 3
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” [Luke 2:13-14, KJV].
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” [Luke 2:13-14, NASB].
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” [Luke 2:13-14, NIV].
Here’s the bottom line. To assert someone is attempting to smuggle in heresy by asserting God is “pleased with” or “has favor toward” sinful man—well, that is what it is, viz., mere assertion. Some folks hear the Gospel and are born again as sons of God. We’re in His family. I beg the pardon of our learned savant self-styled, but God most assuredly is well pleased with His own kids. His favor does rest on His own sons and daughters.
A learned savant ought to first learn before he attempts to teach. If he doesn’t hunger and thirst enough to put in long hours alone with the Lord and His Word; if he isn’t inclined to learn what he can from those whom the Lord has chosen to teach; if he hasn’t the foggiest about the Greek and Hebrew texts—ai yai yai! What makes such a one believe the Lord has called him to be a teacher?!? Let me answer that. His pride is at the root of the problem. He needs to repent of his sin and seek the Lord’s will for his life.
During this blessed time of the year, let’s get real with the Lord, even as He is real with us. He did give us His one and only Son to die on our behalf. Now that is some gift! He is worth spending our time with, our Bible open and mouth in prayer. It doesn’t matter which Bible of the three I listed you have open either. You won’t go wrong with any of them, dear friends. Let’s worship the Lord and thank Him for His Word, not argue about things we know little to nothing about. Have a blessed Christmas!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” [Luke 2:13-14, NASB].
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” [Luke 2:13-14, NIV].
Here’s the bottom line. To assert someone is attempting to smuggle in heresy by asserting God is “pleased with” or “has favor toward” sinful man—well, that is what it is, viz., mere assertion. Some folks hear the Gospel and are born again as sons of God. We’re in His family. I beg the pardon of our learned savant self-styled, but God most assuredly is well pleased with His own kids. His favor does rest on His own sons and daughters.
A learned savant ought to first learn before he attempts to teach. If he doesn’t hunger and thirst enough to put in long hours alone with the Lord and His Word; if he isn’t inclined to learn what he can from those whom the Lord has chosen to teach; if he hasn’t the foggiest about the Greek and Hebrew texts—ai yai yai! What makes such a one believe the Lord has called him to be a teacher?!? Let me answer that. His pride is at the root of the problem. He needs to repent of his sin and seek the Lord’s will for his life.
During this blessed time of the year, let’s get real with the Lord, even as He is real with us. He did give us His one and only Son to die on our behalf. Now that is some gift! He is worth spending our time with, our Bible open and mouth in prayer. It doesn’t matter which Bible of the three I listed you have open either. You won’t go wrong with any of them, dear friends. Let’s worship the Lord and thank Him for His Word, not argue about things we know little to nothing about. Have a blessed Christmas!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 21, 2011
It's Christmas. I'm Inspired! - Part 2
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” [Luke 2:13-14, KJV].
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” [Luke 2:13-14, NASB].
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” [Luke 2:13-14, NIV].
Anyway, it was Christmas time and this good man wanted to warn his flock about the dangers of “heresy”. If it wasn’t King Jamie’s authorized version, then Paul didn’t use it and Jesus didn’t use it and Peter probably didn’t either! He quoted Luke 2:13-14 as a part of his sermon, using KJV of course. (He was no heretic!) Then he paused momentarily, glanced around at the congregation, and warned them about the “modern” translations.
According to our learned savant, the “modern” translations smuggled in heresies beneath the surface and between the lines. Satan was the mastermind, judging by his impressions, and all the world was in his throes. Not to fear: the learned savant was here! He quoted the NIV and the NASB (see above) to prove his point.
On earth peace, good will toward men. “That’s what King James says. Now lookee here at the NIV,” On earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. “And the NASB is just as bad,” On earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. That much alone PROVES the modern versions are heresy, brothers and sisters. God isn’t please with any man. His favor doesn’t rest on any man because all men are sinners!” The room was silent, like the night before Christmas when all through the house…
I personally have no problem with any of the three translations, dear friends. I’ve read each one multiple times and enjoyed doing so every time. I’ve read many others too, but I find these the better choices. Truth be told, I read both Testaments in Hebrew and Greek too. Let me translate my own rendition of Luke 2:13-14 straight from the Greek.
Glory in the highest to God, and upon earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.
It would be easy enough to translate “with whom He is well pleased” (NIV) by the words “to those on whom His favor rests” (NASB). The words bear both definitions. I don’t want to lose you with too many technicalities, so let’s leave it at that. We will continue this in our next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” [Luke 2:13-14, NASB].
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” [Luke 2:13-14, NIV].
Anyway, it was Christmas time and this good man wanted to warn his flock about the dangers of “heresy”. If it wasn’t King Jamie’s authorized version, then Paul didn’t use it and Jesus didn’t use it and Peter probably didn’t either! He quoted Luke 2:13-14 as a part of his sermon, using KJV of course. (He was no heretic!) Then he paused momentarily, glanced around at the congregation, and warned them about the “modern” translations.
According to our learned savant, the “modern” translations smuggled in heresies beneath the surface and between the lines. Satan was the mastermind, judging by his impressions, and all the world was in his throes. Not to fear: the learned savant was here! He quoted the NIV and the NASB (see above) to prove his point.
On earth peace, good will toward men. “That’s what King James says. Now lookee here at the NIV,” On earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. “And the NASB is just as bad,” On earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. That much alone PROVES the modern versions are heresy, brothers and sisters. God isn’t please with any man. His favor doesn’t rest on any man because all men are sinners!” The room was silent, like the night before Christmas when all through the house…
I personally have no problem with any of the three translations, dear friends. I’ve read each one multiple times and enjoyed doing so every time. I’ve read many others too, but I find these the better choices. Truth be told, I read both Testaments in Hebrew and Greek too. Let me translate my own rendition of Luke 2:13-14 straight from the Greek.
Glory in the highest to God, and upon earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.
It would be easy enough to translate “with whom He is well pleased” (NIV) by the words “to those on whom His favor rests” (NASB). The words bear both definitions. I don’t want to lose you with too many technicalities, so let’s leave it at that. We will continue this in our next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 20, 2011
It’s Christmas. I’m Inspired! - Part 1
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” [Luke 2:13-14, KJV].
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” [Luke 2:13-14, NASB].
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” [Luke 2:13-14, NIV].
As a kid back in the days before the American Revolution (ha ha), I grew up on the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). The first quotation of Luke 2 above was repeated from memory every Christmas, at the reenactment of the Christmas story in my parents’ church. I knew those words by heart, let me tell you. They rang out true and pure, with no adulteration attached. By no means should a single word ever be changed or the syntax be rearranged. Heresy ‘twould be!
It never dawned on me to wonder why it would be heresy. Go figure, why don’cha. I mean, when the Holy Spirit inspired the Christmas story (as well as all the rest of Scripture), there were no English words included! The original manuscripts of the Old Testament were penned in Hebrew, with a small part in Aramaic (a language akin to Hebrew). The New Testament originally was penned in koine Greek (aka the Greek used by the everyday average Joe at the time).
So why, then, is it heresy for some folks, if the Bible is translated differently than old King Jamie authorized? I’ll give you a hint. It begins with a “t” and ends with an “n”, and in-between come the letters “raditio”. Did you decipher the hint okay. You see, it’s much easier on our noggins to learn something when we’re young, taking it at face value because we are taught it by the adults, and nevermore wavering a hairs’ breadth to the right or to the left of it. “Twould be heresy!
Once upon a time, oh, say around 1991-ish, my family and I attended a little startup church in Massachusetts, a couple of blocks from our house. The pastor was a kindly young soul, a self-starter who ignored formal education in favor of knowing it all without having to learn first.
I mean to be kind, honest I do, dear friends. But more harm is done amongst Christians by well-meaning folks who figure the Lord just needs them so desperately to be a teacher of the Bible. It doesn’t occur to them to check and see if the Lord gave them a speaking gift in the first place, or whether He called them to a preaching/teaching ministry. No need to bother the Lord with that. I’ll leave Him in peace and just take care of the matter myself. Uh, it doesn’t work that way! We will continue this in our next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” [Luke 2:13-14, NASB].
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” [Luke 2:13-14, NIV].
As a kid back in the days before the American Revolution (ha ha), I grew up on the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). The first quotation of Luke 2 above was repeated from memory every Christmas, at the reenactment of the Christmas story in my parents’ church. I knew those words by heart, let me tell you. They rang out true and pure, with no adulteration attached. By no means should a single word ever be changed or the syntax be rearranged. Heresy ‘twould be!
It never dawned on me to wonder why it would be heresy. Go figure, why don’cha. I mean, when the Holy Spirit inspired the Christmas story (as well as all the rest of Scripture), there were no English words included! The original manuscripts of the Old Testament were penned in Hebrew, with a small part in Aramaic (a language akin to Hebrew). The New Testament originally was penned in koine Greek (aka the Greek used by the everyday average Joe at the time).
So why, then, is it heresy for some folks, if the Bible is translated differently than old King Jamie authorized? I’ll give you a hint. It begins with a “t” and ends with an “n”, and in-between come the letters “raditio”. Did you decipher the hint okay. You see, it’s much easier on our noggins to learn something when we’re young, taking it at face value because we are taught it by the adults, and nevermore wavering a hairs’ breadth to the right or to the left of it. “Twould be heresy!
Once upon a time, oh, say around 1991-ish, my family and I attended a little startup church in Massachusetts, a couple of blocks from our house. The pastor was a kindly young soul, a self-starter who ignored formal education in favor of knowing it all without having to learn first.
I mean to be kind, honest I do, dear friends. But more harm is done amongst Christians by well-meaning folks who figure the Lord just needs them so desperately to be a teacher of the Bible. It doesn’t occur to them to check and see if the Lord gave them a speaking gift in the first place, or whether He called them to a preaching/teaching ministry. No need to bother the Lord with that. I’ll leave Him in peace and just take care of the matter myself. Uh, it doesn’t work that way! We will continue this in our next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 19, 2011
Magi Tricks - Part 2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and franincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book <>iNumbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and franincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book <>iNumbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Magi Tricks - Part 1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally one and by example, teach us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Word of God is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue,
I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally one and by example, teach us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Word of God is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue,
I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
