Power of Few Men Over Many (2 Chronicles 13-16)

The Old Testament is full of examples of small amounts of faithful men defeating a multitude. A very good thing to remember. I have been taking notes of those examples for a while now. 2 Chronicles 13:7 touches on that: faithful Judah with their 400,000 men, defeated Israel with 800,000, killing 500,000 of Israel's men. It makes no mention of Judah losing any of their own.

In v. 14:8-15 after Asa prayed a beautiful prayer (in v. 11). Judah's 580,000 men defeated the Ethiopians' 1,000,000 + 300 chariots.

15:7 we read "be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work". That goes for everyone from executives, to janitors and housewives. Great verse to help us remember that no matter what our job in life, our PURPOSE is to live and work for.....and glorify God.

15:2 says "if you seek Him, He will LET you find Him", and after they sought Him, v. 4 states "He LET them find Him". God is there, and waiting for you to choose to seek Him. Reminds me of James 4:4 which says "do you not konw that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes HIMSELF an enemy of God". These verses really highlight the fact that our relationship with God depends on us seeking Him...........He's ready to be found if we will only seek.

This passage shows good example of the impotence of men who trust in flesh vs. the power of those who trust in God. Especially highlighting the fact that the way to perdition is to trust in self, as Israel (northern Kingdom) did in this passage. Judah (southern Kingdom) trusted in the Lord & re-dedicated themselves to Him (15:10-15) and in v. 15 it says "so the Lord gave them rest on every side". "Rest" in the OT refers to peaceful living, not laziness or short time of respite, but rather a lengthy time of peace in the land (when referring to a kingdom), or in one's own life.

16:12 Asa "became diseased in his feet....he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians". What an awesome statement! A great example of the fact that the physician is not doing his thing on his own, but it is the Lord who guides him - IF the patients seeks Him first.

We know from personal experience, what wonders can happen when the Lord guides your physician. We always pray for that.

'Psalm in a bog' linked to Israel's current war

This was pretty amazing story. Imagine the POSSIBILITY of a book surviving in wet conditions for 1000 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The eerie thing is I was talking about this very psalm to my husband less than 24 hours before the story broke....... :o)

Read Psalm 83 and see how it sounds like something out of today's headlines. Better yet, SEE it here: Psalm 83 (A Prayer For Israel). The music's pretty awesome too. I bought the CD and haven't stopped playing it!!!!!!

Also translated into French, Spanish, German & Portuguese

Ps. 83 Presentation

This is a wonderfully made and enlightening flash presentation of Psalm 83
http://www.acwitness.org/psalm83english.html

The authors' web page is actually http://www.greetingsfromjerusalem.com/ It is at the bottom of the flash page, but easy to miss.

The Trashing of The Christ

A detailed, in-depth look into how the differences in the media coverage of the movie The Passion of The Christ and The DaVinci Code.

Summary Report

Full Report

Church Political Correctness

From Voddie Baucham's Site (http://www.voddiebaucham.org/)"This is indicative of many Christian’s desire to make the Gospel “cool,” and us acceptable members of the mainstream. Remember the words of Jesus; “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ” (John 15:18,19)"

Voddie's an awesome speaker & teacher. His words are so true! Too many churches nowadays (like too many parents) want to be "cool" and forget that if anything, Jesus' commission was the OPPOSITE of being cool. James 4:4 says "do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God".

Why is it when we go against God and suffer punishment we have the audacity to shake our fist at God and wonder how He could "ever let this happen" to us? When, it's our own doing. I like the way the verse above is phrased, "makes HIMSELF an enemy of God"........God doesn't leave us, we leave Him!

The Way of Wisdom

What is wisdom? In this age of moral relativism, God's word tells us without a doubt that wisdom is imparted by God. One of the 7 spirits before the throne of God is the spirit of wisdom (Isa. 11:2 = "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might [strength], the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [awe] of the LORD; "). The original Hebrew word for wisdom here is חכמה (khok-maw') meaning "in good sense". Ergo, the Godless man is by definition both a fool and a man without sense, since "the fool has said in his heart there is no God" (Ps. 14:1 & 53:1)..........but I digress :o)

Exo 31:3 = "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, "

Jer 9:23 cautions us about relying on our gifts as if they were apart from God. "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:" When man allows the gift which is given by God to become his idol, he forgets God and relies instead on his own resources. He in essence feels no need for God since his bank account, his own brain or his power (be it impalpable, like the power a politician may yield, or tangible such as the sense of invulnerability such as a soldier which is both adept in man-to-man combat as well as yields firepower)

"What the world considers wise invariably is foolishness to God. Conversely, what God considers wise generally is foolishness to the world. You can walk in the world’s wisdom and be foolish to God, or you can walk in God’s wisdom and be considered foolish by the world—but you can’t have it both ways. The world has a way of wisdom and God has a way of wisdom." Nancy Leigh DeMoss (8/9/06)

Doctrines of Demons: Today's Prosperity Theology

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will
fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and
doctrines of demons
1 Timothy 4:1

Don't think I'm on a rant over Catholics because I used to be one. I'm not! I'm on a rant against un-Biblical teaching, which is leading people astray. Or worse yet, making them think they are saved when they aren't.

Take today's brand of prosperity theology as I call it. The likes of Joel Osteen - the foremost of such teachers/preachers. Too many nowadays are unfortunately following his lead, thinking it correct to preach that if you follow Jesus, you will have great blessings and prosperity and happiness. This is not what the Scriptures teach us. Jesus said in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, buit take courage; I have overcome the world.". I have no doubt prosperity teachers mean well, but their sermons sound more like pep talks than theology. They either don't know or don't want to teach Bible in fear of losing their audience.

Prosperity theology has an added negative side-effect, it can make you act like Job's friends.....it presuposes (to the weak Christian watching you suffer) that if you are suffering you are out of God's favor and must, therefore, be a "bad Christian" or have committed some great sin for which you are paying.

If this were true, what of Paul's life? He was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, tried 5 times and ultimately killed. Yet he was the foremost of God's "chosen instrument" (Acts 9:15) to take His Word to the rest of the world ("gentiles" in v. 15). Paul was a wretched man and persecutor of Christians (Philippians 3:5-6). Just as the depths of wickedness from which he rose to be the great Apostle of Christ which he became speaks to the changing power of salvation in Jesus Christ in our lives - so the suffering of the saint speaks to the power God's grace gives us to not merely overcome the hard things in this life, but indeed, God uses those very things to make us better soldiers for Christ. James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. " [emphasis mine]. Notice he did not say "if" but "when" you encounter trials.

If you read your Bible you will see that God's strongest and best examples, only became that way because they went through the fire. Just a few examples are:

1. Beginning with His 12 disciples, all but one died a martyr's death, (the one who didn't was John who died imprisoned on the island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation).
2. Daniel in the lion's den (Daniel 6:18-23). Notice when Daniel came out of the lion's den, the king himself was saved, (v. 26), and he decreed that everyone in his kingdom should worship Daniel's God.
   
3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego (literally in the fire in Daniel 3). When they were thrown into the fire a 4th man could be seen walking around it with them. That was the pre-incarnate Christ (v 25). You see, it's in the midst of our darkest hour, that we get closer to Christ!
4. Joseph (sold into slavery by his jealous brothers to the end where in Genesis 50:20 he tells them "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive [and ultimately to save the entire Jewish race]. The entire story spans Genesis 37-50). Through God's sovereign hand a lowly, Jewish slave became the #2 man in Egypt (second only to Pharaoh) (Gen. 41:40), the Egyptians having to obey his words (Gen. 41:44).
5. Paul, the Apostle of Christ. A perfect example of both how we may be called to suffer for Christ, and also how we should praise Him no matter what (as he did in the deepest darkest suffering in a dungeon: (Acts 16:22-30).

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11 "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am". A great verse and one of my favorites. It speaks to our God's ability to change how we feel and react toward the bad circumstances in life. Obviously, Paul wasn't talking about the good circumstances, after all, who needs to LEARN to be happy with their new car, fancy house or impressive title? But note also the verb he used "learn", it wasn't something Paul was just born knowing how to handle, but he learned it. He didn't say "I have come to be content"!

James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him".

God bless you, if you are in a trial right now, hang on to Jesus and to God's Word as hard as you can. Study it daily, it WILL bring you peace and it will be the ship which helps keep you afloat in the midst of your storm. If you're blessed enough right now to say you are in no trials, praise God and just hang on tight, because that wave will hit you sooner or later. When it does, only the Truth in God's Word will help you, not all the feel-good sermons you normally hear in church.

The Gospel Betrayed - By Dave Hunt

Found this on http://www.thebereancall.org/node/5853. I guess it's old news to some, but it's news to me. (Full text below)

What ISN'T old about it are many facts regarding what organized church leaders (Protestant and Catholic alike - these are what the article above addresses). The greater fault lies with the Protestants, who, by agreeing to this declaration, have undermined the very sacrifice which those who were martyred by the Catholic church died for. The article names those people and the way in which they were killed.

As Dave Hunt puts it, "such is the heritage of today's evangelicans, which this document now rejects.....revised both history and doctrine."

FULL TEXT:
The Gospel Betrayed
Hunt, Dave
April 30, 1994

The most significant event in almost 500 years of church history took place March 29, 1994. Leading evangelicals and Catholics signed a joint declaration, "Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the 3rd Millennium." The document overturns the Reformation and does incalculable damage to the cause of Christ. The news release said:

They toiled together in the movements against abortion and pornography, and now leading Catholics and evangelicals are asking their flocks for a remarkable leap of faith: to finally accept each other as Christians...[E]vangelicals including Pat Robertson and Charles Colson joined with conservative Roman Catholic leaders today in upholding the ties of faith that bind [them]....They urged Catholics and evangelicals...to stop aggressive proselytization of each other's flocks.

John White, president of Geneva College and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said the statement represents a "triumphalistic moment" in American religious life....

Other evangelical endorsers include the heads of the Home Mission Board and Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, and Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ...Mark Noll of Wheaton University...[Os Guinness, Jesse Miranda (Assemblies of God), Richard Mouw (President, Fuller Seminary), J.I. Packer and Herbert Schlossberg].

Robert Simonds, Southern California chairman of the National Association of Evangelicals, "applauded the declaration" and said he hopes it will bring "increased cooperation between evangelicals and Catholics...." But the fruit of such "cooperation" has not been good in the past. Evangelicals working beside Catholics, Mormons, Moonies, et al., for common social or political aims (for example, in Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition) will not witness to their "partners in action" for fear of offending them and breaking up the coalition. Such compromise laid the foundation for this alliance––a development monitored closely and approved by the Vatican.

I neither impugn the motives nor question the salvation of the evangelical signers. Yet I believe the document represents the most devastating blow against the gospel in at least 1,000 years. Already the declaration is being "translated into Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and Russian for circulation throughout Latin America and Eastern Europe." Soon it will have a revolutionary impact worldwide.

Having carefully read the 25-page fifth draft marked "Not for general circulation," I appreciate the loving concern for both truth and unity expressed therein. Some key differences between Catholics and evangelicals are noted without compromise. But the most important difference––what it means to be saved––is not mentioned and, in fact, is directly denied.

Amazingly, the document claims that all Catholics are Christians, hold the same faith as evangelicals, and are our "brothers and sisters in Christ." If so, then the Reformation was a tragic mistake which we all must denounce! On this sad juncture in church history, the last words of Hugh Latimer ring in our conscience. Bound back-to-back to the stake with Nicholas Ridley, Latimer, England's most effective gospel preacher at that time, was heard to exclaim as the flames engulfed them, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day, by God's grace, light such a candle in England as I pray shall never be put out." How incredible that the last spark of that Reformation "candle" is now being extinguished by evangelical leaders who owe so much to the very faithfulness of such martyrs!

For 1,000 years before the Reformation, there were always groups of evangelical Christians outside the Catholic Church, millions of whom were slaughtered for obeying Scripture instead of Rome. Pope Pius III killed 60,000 in one day when his forces wiped out the entire town of Beziers, France, an act which he considered the "crowning achievement of his papacy." Martin Luther acknowledged his debt to these earlier martyrs:

We are not the first to declare the papacy to be the kingdom of antichrist, since for many years before us so many and such great men (whose number is large and whose memory is eternal) have undertaken to express the same thing so clearly and plainly.

Through the example of these Vaudois, Albigenses, Waldenses and other early evangelicals, and from the Bibles they preserved, a few Roman Catholic priests and monks realized that their Church didn't preach the truth and that they and their fellow Catholics were not saved, but lost. Men like John Wyclif (1329-84), Jan Hus (1373-1415) and Johannes Geiler von Kaysersberg (1445-1510) believed the gospel and began preaching it. They hoped their Church could be reformed. In response, Rome consigned many of these faithful gospel preachers to the flames. Later Luther and other Reformers, all Roman Catholics, also became convinced that neither they nor their fellow Catholics were saved. They began preaching salvation by grace through faith instead of Catholicism's false gospel of sacramental rituals and works. For this they were excommunicated and untold thousands more were martyred.

Such is the heritage of today's evangelicals, which this document now rejects. We are asked to believe that the Reformers were deluded, that like all active Catholics today they were saved but didn't know it; the tens of millions of Catholics who since then have received Christ by faith alone and left the Catholic Church have also been deceived; the whole evangelical church of today is equally deluded about what it means to be a Christian. Colson, Robertson, Bright, et al. have revised both history and doctrine.

Evangelicals would decry the complacent attitude that everyone raised in and/or attending a Protestant church is a Christian. Lost sinners need to be saved. How, then, did leading evangelicals decide that all active Catholics are Christians and must not hereafter be evangelized? The agreement states that both Catholics and evangelicals accept the Apostles' Creed: that Christ "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried." That creed, however, does not express the gospel that saves (Rom 1:16): that "Christ died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3). Mormons affirm the Apostles' Creed, but they aren't Christians. Nor does affirming it make Catholics (or Protestants) Christians.

Catholicism's false gospel hasn't changed. It diametrically opposes the evangelical view of what Christ's crucifixion and forgiveness of sins mean. Let me quote from Vatican II, Flannery's Edition, Vol. 1 (the same teaching is affirmed by the new universal Catechism of the Catholic Church just released by the Vatican). This is what Catholicism teaches and Catholics believe and practice today:

Christ's death earned "satisfactions and merits" which have been deposited into a "Treasury" to which have been added "the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary [and] the prayers and good works of all the saints [beyond what they needed for their own salvation].

From the most ancient times in the Church good works were also offered to God for the salvation of sinners.... Indeed, [by] the prayers and good works of holy people...the penitent was washed, cleansed and redeemed....Following in Christ's steps, those who believe in him have always...carried their crosses to make expiation for their own sins and the sins of others. They were convinced that they could [by such good works and sacrifices] help their brothers to obtain salvation from God....(pp 64-66)

Out of this "treasury of the Church" salvation/redemption is dispensed in installments by the Catholic clergy through the seven sacraments. One never passes "from death to life" (Jn 5:24) but is always earning salvation with the Church's help. In fact, excommunication is the penalty for saying one is saved and knows he has eternal life through faith in Christ's finished work. The very heart of the gospel which evangelicals affirm is denied by Catholicism in all its creeds, catechisms, canons and decrees and dogmas, and those who dare to affirm it are anathematized. Vatican II's first page declares,

For it is the liturgy [sacramental rituals] through which, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, the work of our redemption is accomplished.

So redemption/salvation is in process of being effected by Church sacraments. But Paul wrote, "In whom we have [present possession, an accomplished fact through Christ] redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). Hebrews 9:12 says, "...by his own blood he entered in once [for all time] into the holy place [heaven], having obtained eternal redemption for us." Redemption is finished! But that truth is consistently and insistently denied.

Even Christ's death is an ongoing process, so the Mass is not a remembrance of a finished work but a sacrifice which obtains forgiveness of sins and from which "graces and merits" flow in partial installments. This is from the Pocket Catholic Dictionary:

The Mass is a truly propitiatory sacrifice [by which] the Lord is appeased [and]...pardons wrongdoings and sins.... Finally the Mass is the divinely ordained means of applying the merits of Calvary. Christ won for the world all the graces it needs for salvation and sanctification. But these blessings are conferred gradually and continually...mainly through the Mass....The priest is indispensable, since he alone by his powers can change the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ....the more often the sacrifice [of the Mass] is offered the more benefit is conferred [i.e.; Calvary wasn't enough] (pp 248-49).

The Mass continues to transmit installments of grace even after one has died, as relatives buy "Mass cards" which are laid upon the altar during Mass in the name of the deceased in order to shorten purgatorial suffering. Christ's death couldn't get us to heaven, but Masses, Hail Marys, good works, "bearing one's cross" for others, etc. will do so. Earned "indulgences" also shorten time in purgatory. Charles Colson says indulgences are no longer part of Catholicism (The Body, p 271). In fact, Vatican II devotes 17 pages to indulgences (pp 62-79) and anathematizes anyone who rejects that doctrine (p 71)!

"But surely you don't deny that some Catholics are saved!" is the objection when one presents the truth about Catholicism. That some Catholics may be saved is possible, but that is a far cry from this document's implication that all are saved. And to be saved, a Catholic would have to believe the true gospel and reject Catholicism's false gospel. One can't believe two contradictory propositions at the same time: one can't believe Christ obtained redemption through His blood and also believe redemption is being accomplished through Catholic liturgy; one can't believe salvation is by faith and "not of works" and at the same time believe that good works earn salvation (see quote above).

Paul declared that "all have sinned" (Rom 3:23) and need to be "saved" from God's eternal judgment upon sinners. He also insisted that one can be saved only by believing "the gospel of Christ" (Rom 1:16). The early church "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6) with the preaching of this gospel, a gospel which Roman Catholicism has denied for 1,500 years.

I have been in contact with thousands of Catholics who were saved and left that Church. Not one ever heard the true gospel preached there. Not one was saved by being a Catholic, but by believing a gospel which is anathema to Catholics. In a recent survey of 2,000 homes in Spain only two Protestants knew the gospel, while 1,998 Catholics thought good works, church attendance, etc. would get them to heaven. In their 15 years of evangelizing in Spain, missionaries with whom I spoke had never met one Catholic who was saved or who knew how to be saved. Knowing that these millions of Catholics are lost causes evangelicals there to work day and night to bring them the gospel!

And now we are asked to refrain from sharing the gospel with those who desperately need it, and to assume them already saved, when their own doctrines forbid this assurance. It is outrageous that leading evangelicals have placed nearly 25 percent of the world's population off limits for evangelization! Missionaries must now leave Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and those in Latin America—such is the tragic implication of this document!

Paul told the Philippian jailer that if he would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (that is, personally put his faith in Him as His Savior who had died for His sins and risen again) he would be saved. That being "saved" was a once-for-all transformation effected by placing one's complete trust for eternity in the finished work of Christ alone has been proclaimed by generations of preachers such as Wesley, Whitefield, Spurgeon and Moody and by missionary giants such as C.T. Studd, Hudson Taylor and David Livingstone. We are now being told, however, that such men and women who gave their lives to bring the gospel to the lost wasted their time if they preached to Catholics. Tell that to the millions of ex-Catholics who thank God with tears that someone loved them enough to tell them the truth!

Instead of rejoicing in these souls being saved, Colson says he and others had become "distressed by the clashes arising from the growth of evangelical Protestantism in traditionally Catholic Latin America and, more recently, in traditionally Catholic or Eastern Orthodox areas of Central Europe and Russia." Go to Latin America, Mr. Colson, and see the paganism and spiritism mixed with Catholicism! See the tragedy of souls by the millions going into a Christless eternity because they have been deceived by Roman Catholicism! Thank God that millions of Catholics are accepting the gospel and now know they have eternal life (1 Jn 5:13)! Yet the signers of this treach­er­ous document denounce the conversions of Catholics and ask us to stop rescuing them from hell!

We have warned of growing ecu­men­ism, explained the difference between the false works gospel of Catholicism and the biblical gospel, and exposed the growing unity between Catholics and the very evan­gelicals who have signed this agreement. I have sent photocopies of pertinent sections from Vatican II, Trent and catechisms to some of these men, with no response to the issues. They cannot be excused on the grounds of ignorance.

The most tragic result of this historic development will be to prevent the gospel from being presented to lost millions who have now been wrongly reclassified by evan­gelical leaders as Christians. A dis­aster of almost equal proportions will result from this document’s endorsement of Cath­olicism’s false gospel, thereby encouraging multitudes to believe it. Unless we speak up boldly, the much needed warnings against some of Satan’s cleverest lies will be silenced.

If we truly love lost souls about us, no matter what their religious affiliation, we will increase our efforts to bring them the truth of the gospel before it is forever too late. Pray with us that TBC will be used mightily to bring lost souls everywhere into the light of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us together stand firm against the spiritual darkness which threatens to extinguish the candle that martyrs like Latimer and Ridley so faith­fully lit. TBC

Some People Can't Handle the TRUTH - Purgatory, Satan's lie

I am new to blogging, and I've enjoyed starting to visit others' blogs. I thought it a pleasing and intellectual challenge to discuss some of the Catholic Church's errors (Biblically speaking) with one blogger here. I thought the blogger sounded truly more knowledgeable and more searching in God's Word than most Catholics (I speak from experience, I used to be one). But I guess I gave him a little more Truth than he could handle. He deleted my posts (after the 2nd one, which I guess was just a little TOO Bible-based for him).

It started with discussing purgatory - a blatant lie perpetrated by the Vatican which has absolutely NO Biblical base whatsoever!

As I pointed out in my first post, Jesus, on the cross said to the thief which believed in Him in Luke 23:43 "today you shall be with Me in Paradise". We know nothing about this thief except we can surmise his sins were so heinous as to warrant crucifixion...a method of killing by means of torture devised by the Romans and reserved for their worst criminals. So the thief in question was, shall we say, a REALLY bad guy! He didn't have time to get down off the cross, go light some candles, or go to a confessional to have a priest absolve him of his sins before he could go to Paradise.

His belief that this Man on the cross next to him was INDEED the Christ, the Messiah which had been sent to save his own people, is what got him a ticket to Paradise. That IS ALL IT TAKES. No deeds, tithing, good works etc. will help you get there, only Jesus. I've heard it said "this was the thief's greatest theft of all, he stole heaven"....in context, the speaker ment he got himself that ticket to Paradise just in the nick of time.

Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me".

For his belief in Jesus, He said, the thief would be in Paradise TODAY...............NOT after some time in purgatory, NOT after a few masses, prayers or petitions, NOT after much money had been donated to the church, or some other good works done on his behalf, but TODAY.........AS SOON AS HE DIED. Now according to the Vatican, the Catholic church, the thief's family would have to have some purgatory masses, etc. to pray that he get out of there and go to heaven. There is NO BIBLICAL base for this.

So who do you choose to believe? God's Word?, the Bible? Or some ludicrous, man-made fiction?

I welcome any comments here which can show me any Bible verses..............DON'T be quoting me what bishops or councils or popes have said, as the blogger I mentioned above did. Show me Scripture, that is the ONLY thing I we can Truthfully consider.

Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism is very well explained in the first link below as "In order to understand the Bible, one must study dispensationally, that is, rightly divide the scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15). But what does it mean to study dispensationally or to rightly divide? On the most basic level: It is reading a Bible passage and asking, "Am I in the group of people being spoken to here?" That is, "Is this passage speaking to Christians?" Most commonly, we are taught that the entire Bible is written to us. But that is not entirely correct. The whole Bible is written for us, for our learning, but not all of it is addressed to us." This is very interesting read it in its entirety at http://www.matthewmcgee.org/dispensa.html. I'm just getting into this. McGee explains it well and succinctly.

Basically, dispensationalism is how God deals with man in different ways at different times. According to Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum (www.ariel.org) each covenant which God made with man had to do with a different covenant. There are 8 covenants in the Bible, the first 3 were made with all of humanity, the last 5 were made with Israel. They were:

1. Edenic
2. Adamic
3. Noahic
4. Abrahamic
5. Mosaic
6. Palestinian
7. Davidic
8. New Covenant

He deals with this in depth in one of his Messianic Bible Studies Series (PDF study #mbs21). I highly recommend getting this study series of ALL 190 of his studies in PDF.

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
(Rev. 1:7)

This final, apocalyptic book of the Bible is the only one for which a blessing is given to those who study it.

. . .

the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and
murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and
idolaters and all liars, [are going to hell]
(Rev. 21:8)

The first thing I remember really "getting" about Revelation & prophecy was the fact [emphasized above in blue] that liars go to hell just as well as the really evil sinners. No one makes it into heaven by being a "good person". Omitting the "liars", many people would read that verse and say "I never have, nor would I commit any of those horrible sins...I'm a good person...I'm going to heaven when I die".

But who on earth can say he has never told a lie? No one! I'd bet the farm on that one! Even Mother Teresa, even Mary, the mother of Jesus (which unbeknownst to the Catholics WAS a sinner herself). Only Jesus was sinless.

So what this verse tells us is that there is no way anyone can make it to heaven on his own merits, without the salvation which Jesus Christ bought for us on the cross. God sent and allowed His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our salvation so that we might join Him in His glorious city for all eternity.

Bible Prophecy Coming True - watch the news

In light of all that is going on in Southern Lebanon, anyone interested in finding out what the Bible says will happen.............and it IS happening in S. Lebanon already.........listen to Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum's series on The Arab States In Prophecy. Each part is only about 12 minutes long.

God's blessing on you!
Lu

Hi, I'm Lu........Welcome to my Bible Knowledge Base Blog

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines knowledge as:
"the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity
gained through experience or association"

We are G*d's children, both Jews and gentiles. Ephesians 2:14 says "For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [Jews & gentiles] into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall". In Ephesians 1:5 Paul wrote "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will". Meaning G*d intended the Jews' rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah on His first appearance on the earth to be a blessing to the rest of the world, so that none would perish.....because what man means for evil, God can turn to good [paraphrase of Gensis 50:20].....this is one of my top 5 favorite verses.

Through and in G*d's word we associate with Him and thus we gain knowledge of Him. In Exodus 33:13 Moses prayed "let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight ". I seek to know G*d.

He is infinite, so my study of His Word will never be complete. I like that! In my mind, there's nothing less satisfying that finishing what you started, then you must say to yourself "now what?!?". Perhaps that is why I have so many unfinished projects around the house. :o)

I'll tell you a little about myself. Lu's my name, Bible study is definitely my game! It all started on 5/5/5. I though "I should read through the Bible at least once in my life. That would, I thought, be something to boast about, that I had read it all the way through once."

In my study Bible that started me on 1 Chronicles chapters 27-29. Immediately I thought the Old Testament would be a very boring read full of "begats" and "thous" and "shalts" but one I would basically have to suffer through if I were to be able to say I read the Bible from cover to cover. Soon it turned into a deep, constant abiding, passion for G*d's Word, for His Son Jesus, and His people, Israel.

There is NOTHING the Bible doesn't teach about. Every time I read I learn more, and it often takes me in different directions, so that I have to start making notes to keep it all straight. It's awesome, and this is what I hope to share here.

FYI........No, my name isn't really Ariel Luria. I chose this 'nom de plume' for a couple of reasons. Ariel is Hebrew for "lion of G*d". And I got the idea from my foremost Bible teacher, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum. His URL is www.ariel.com. I'm also a big X-Files fan and I remembered a character in a very good episode named "Kaddish" in season 4 - wherein the female protagonist's name was Ariel Luria. (The female version of this name is actually "Arielle", but that is not how it was on the TV show - and I'm a stickler for detail). ("Kaddish"is the prayer recited by a mourner for eleven months, after the loss of a loved one. The purpose of reciting the Kaddish is to accrue merit for the Departed Soul. It is interesting to note that in the Kaddish, there is not a word about death; it is entirely a recital of the greatness and holiness of God.)

So there you go. You can call me LU.

I pray this blog will be of intellectual and spiritual interest and a blessing to all who read. May it spark in all who read the love for the Scriptures it has in me, and those around me.