Repent

Living and loving through the New Covenant; eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus our Messiah (reading and doing all of His Word). “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31–34, ESV. See also Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10; Ezekiel 11:19-21)

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Posted in Faith • Fruit • Hypocrisy • Judgment • Whole Bible Christianity book • Works

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

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Religious leaders demand a sign (Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16) from Jesus. They wanted a “sign” because Moses used some. The Prophet that was to come, which Moses spoke about, was supposed to be like him (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). So they reasoned that if Jesus were the Prophet He would use similar signs. They should’ve reasoned that the Prophet would be humble and hold to God’s Law completely. This would in fact be more “like Moses.” Remember that Israel wanted signs from Moses too, but were never satisfied with them. They were not really interested in signs, ever. Except maybe as a substitute for TV.

 

Signs don’t do anything to convert anybody. They sure didn’t work with Israel, nor do they work now. How can a sign do anything for those who refuse to see? Worse, who see and refuse to obey? It’s like a fireworks show where everybody oohs and ahhs. But the end of the show is also the end of the impact.

 

Jesus skillfully goes to the heart of the matter. First, He says they couldn’t properly interpret or obey a sign from God anyway. This is a biblical equivalent of “blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other” as my dad used to say. Second, He said that only the sign of Jonah would be given (Matthew 12:39, 16:4; Luke 11:29). Make a note for yourself here that the people of Nineveh repented at the mere preaching of Jonah. He didn’t use any signs.

 

Of course, signs were on display all around the leaders. Jesus was healing, casting out demons and raising people from the dead left and right. However, they refused to act on the signs. They were like children sitting in the market place, singing to each other in the wisdom of the world. They wanted Him to dance to their music. But Jesus doesn’t dance like that for beans.
31“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32“They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35“Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” (Luke 7:31-35 NASB95)

 

Jesus wasn’t going to give them the dog and pony show they wanted (Matthew 11:16; Luke 7:32). His wisdom, especially in the proper use of the Law, was proven by all of His actions. If the leaders really wanted confirmation that Jesus was the Prophet there was plenty of evidence to go around. The refusal to jump when they said jump went a long way towards His arrest and false conviction. No, signs have about as much chance of making hard-hearted people “see” as the United States Marine Band playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” has of making deaf people hear.

 

Doing a miracle is related to asking for a sign. People want their senses stimulated with signs and miracles, but this is not the same as a softened heart. Is it better to do miracles, or just do what God says? The false prophet (coming soon to a government near you) will do all sorts of miracles to get people to worship the beast. He will be very successful, for a while, because there are those who want any miracle except the miracle of changing a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.

 

According to Jesus, many people who merely do miracles (or “signs”) will not enter His Kingdom. The person acting on His Word will (this could include miracles, properly done).
22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:22-24 NASB95)

 

The one who performs a miracle, but is “lawless,” will have to depart. The one who did no miracles but does the will of God gets to enter. Later, Jesus will tell Thomas that a person who does not see, yet believes (acts on His Word) is more blessed than the one needing a sign.
27Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:27-29 NASB95)

 

A miracle or sign is a piece of cake. What’s really hard is taking the small steps of obedience to God on a daily basis, even when no one is looking.

 

Shalom

 

From the book, Whole Bible Christianity

Posted in Daily Living • Feast and Festivals • Repentance

The Hardest Thing

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What do you think the hardest thing to do is for a whole Bible believer?

 

One answer might be to face death, especially a death where the option to escape is to deny the One who bought us. What would I do? A simple lie to save myself, my family? Or perhaps the hardest thing to do is to face the impending death or severe sickness of a loved one. It is very hard to watch someone suffer, and to know that healing might be beyond what you can do. Another answer might be to live under severe persecution such as the brothers and sisters have to do in China or Muslim countries. These things are hard, but they tend to be short-term situations. One thing I think ranks right up there with these other hard things.

 

Living all of His words every minute, every day.

 

It’s easy to get bored, or to think that some small command is not worth the effort. Then it’s easy to go from neglecting a few smaller commands to fudging on a medium command. Steps like these gradually can make obedience to the really big commands a little fuzzy. The decisions made in life or death events don’t just spring up all at once when the big event happens. They are made from all the smaller steps taken, or not taken, before we even get there.

 

To be faithful, in every instance, with all of the heart, can be very difficult. More difficult perhaps than the single event that demands a life or death decision. There are all sorts of daily things we do that become mundane and lose their importance as time goes by. We get fat dumb and happy, and next thing you know we are making all sorts of compromises.

 

The fall holy days we are celebrating now can lose their edge, or they can be times of repentance and renewal. God is calling us to stay faithful, and if we haven’t been as faithful as we should we can still change. Hold fast what you have until He comes (Revelation 2:25). Strengthen what remains and is about to die (Revelation 3:2).

 

Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. (Revelation 3:3, ESV)

 

“Faithful” is also “steadfast love” or “patient endurance.” Don’t let the small things get away. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind when you feel yourself slipping. Read His Word daily, in large doses. Use the feast times to rededicate yourself and avoid slipping. Remember that “faithfulness” is used of God first (Genesis 24:27) and is used mostly in the Bible to describe Him. He is faithful to us who believe, and that deserves a faithful response. We can do all things through Him who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

 

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. (Revelation 3:10–11, ESV)

 

Shalom
Bruce

Posted in Atonement • Blessing • Clean & Unclean • God • Love • Yom Kippur

God Approaches

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It’s morning, Yom Kippur, otherwise known as the Day of Atonement. I wake up thinking about the approach of God. He comes in clouds and thick darkness with lightning and flame of fire to judge the earth. I get up to meet Him.

I shower, but I still don’t think I’m clean enough. My clothes are some of my best, but they are not adequate to cover me. I am naked beneath His searching gaze. The earth shakes; the sky reels. Is this what they call a vision, or have I been transported to a mountain? The very air is heavy with the edge of His holiness and white with the light of His glory. I seem to see a flaming sword in one hand and stars in the other as He approaches from on high. I am terrified. I fall to my knees in supplication hoping that His judgment passes over me. As he comes closer my strength fails and I fall prostrate and blind before the majesty and might of my creator.

His voice is like a shout, like the blast of a thousand trumpets. A mighty noise, and then sudden quiet. There is a touch on my shoulder. Strength flows from that light contact. Still fearful, I open my eyes to see the dirt, and without moving look to the sides to see if I can see who touched me. The touch on my shoulder again. More strength flows in. A regular voice says, “Be not afraid. Rise and speak.” He uses a name for me that I recognize but have not heard before. I get to my feet to see a man standing. He is a little shorter than I, brown skinned and barefoot dressed in a white robe.

His darker skin is the canvas for the white scars on his forehead, light brush strokes on a smooth brow. He looks young, but his eyes are very still and I sense ancient depths. He holds up a hand in peace. His sleeve falls a little and I can clearly see a scar in his wrist.

“My lord and my God,” I say. “You sent for me?”

“I sent an invitation to everyone to meet me on this Day” He says. “I am glad you accepted.”

“But when,” I ask, “did you invite me here?”

He replies, “The invitation was in the book I gave you. You read it and agreed to meet with me here. Walk with me now, and let us talk.”

“As you wish,” I say. He speaks a word that makes me blink, and when I open my eyes I am at my house. But I can still hear Him talking.

“I am with you always,” He says, “though you may not be able to see me the same way all the time. We are together, you in me and I in you. Each word of mine that you take to heart will make your vision clearer, your hearing sharper. Soon you will see me in all my glory. Tell me what is on your mind. Share with me your fears and sorrows. Speak of your concerns for your family, your friends, your country. Let me hear what moves you. Let us walk together like this always whether I am seen or unseen.”

“Your will is my will,” I answer.

“It is enough,” He says.

Posted in Atonement • Blessing • Division • Feast and Festivals • Humility • Law • Love • Punishment • Repentance • Temple • Yom Kippur

Day of Wrath

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Saturday is the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur. On this day, and this day only, when we had a temple the high priest would go into the holy of holies and apply the blood of the sacrifice to the mercy seat of the Aron Khodesh, also known as the Ark of the Covenant. He had to do it in a very specific way, with no deviation, or he would die. There was a time far back in history when the high priest had to go in with a rope tied around his ankle for fear he wouldn’t do things right and would die. If he did then others could drag him out without going in themselves and risking the same death.

 

The Day of Atonement was a day associated with wrath, smoke and burning. There are two facets to the smoke and burning. Either there was a sufficient sacrifice for sin, or there wasn’t. One type of smoke and burning was from the acceptable sacrifice, and God’s wrath was turned away. The other facet of smoke and burning was the wrath of God directed at people who did not have an acceptable sacrifice.

 

The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. (Zephaniah 1:14–17, ESV)

 

Before the death and resurrection of Jesus the Yom Kippur sacrifice looked forward to the offering of His own blood on our behalf. Now we remember that work in humility, but we still look forward to that final day of judgment and fast and pray for those who aren’t prepared. Those of us who believe have accepted His sacrifice and God’s wrath on this day is turned away. Those who haven’t accepted Jesus are risking the burning anger of God. This is why we “afflict ourselves” (fast) as it says in Leviticus 16:29 and other places. We bow our heads in humility remembering the sacrifice, and the cost of that sacrifice for our sins. We also fast and pray for repentance that everyone would likewise accept God’s Word and humble themselves.

 

Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD. (Zephaniah 2:1–3, ESV)

 

Some misguided people make a big deal out of exactly which day to have the holy days of the Lord. There is no procedure outlined for us in the Word, but there are people who want to help God out by splitting hairs about the new moon (which indicates the start of the month). They are missing the point about the whole thing. Majoring in the minors. Forsaking unity and brotherhood to push their “holier than thou” agenda. This kind of quibbling is proof that the Word does not dwell in their hearts, because love dwells with the Law and love is not in these arguments. I’ve seen many who not only quibble about this kind of minor detail but other non-biblical issues such as head coverings while at the same time ignoring more salient and weightier issues such as love and honoring others. It’s not just me, either. Watch them yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

 

Remember the Law in its entirety with love and the Spirit in a heart of flesh. Don’t get caught up in quibbling with the quibblers. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the seven churches. Repent. Love God. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

 

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:1–6, ESV)

Posted in Daily Living • Feast and Festivals • Feast of Trumpets • Marriage • Resurrection • Shofars • Worship

Day of the Awakening Blast

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Coming up next week on Thursday the 5th is a day of blowing otherwise known as the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah (day of the awakening blast). Oh boy. Wednesday night as a family tradition we will be having gyros with tzatziki (zot zee kee) sauce. It’s worth eating the gyros (year-ohs, a mixture of lamb and beef with nifty spices) just to eat my wife’s tzatziki sauce (yogurt, garlic, cucumber mostly). I like to chop it up, others like to make sandwiches out of pita bread, onions and tomatoes.

 

We will be blowing shofars a lot. If you don’t already know, shofar is Hebrew for trumpet. Traditionally it is a curved animal horn (goat or ram’s horn for smaller ones, big ones are from the African Kudu), although some Bible trumpets were made out of silver. We’ll probably also have a fire in our fire ring and make s’mores or something. Or maybe we’ll skip the s’mores to avoid going into sugar shock. My wife likes to call this the “Feast of Sugar.”

 

We like the three fold principal involved in celebrating the feasts of God centered around the word “remember.” Remember in the biblical sense often means to speak or act on behalf of something or someone. That’s why we can not only remember the past (what God has done for His people) and remember the present (practice as a testimony), we can even remember the future (rehearse what God is going to do for His people).

 

Trumpets has themes associated with it including the coronation of the King, waking up from the sleep of sin, marriage (for us it’s associated with the marriage supper of the Lamb), concealment (on the day of wrath), and warning to repent before the day of Judgment/Wrath also known as Yom Kippur or day of atonement.

 

There are some articles on www.wholebible.com including Christian Faith and Practice through Cycles http://www.wholebible.com/Biblical_Feasts.htm and Christian Faith and Practice through Yom Teruah http://www.wholebible.com/trumpets.htm for more information. The Yom Teruah article has a flash video at the bottom where you can hear us sounding the shofar.

 

Shalom
Bruce

Posted in Authority • Clean & Unclean • Daily Living • Faith • Healing • Judgment • Law

Judging with Righteous Judgment Pt. 6 – Faith and Vaccines

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An outbreak of measles centered in a Texas church has gotten some people in a tizzy. It’s supposed to have started with a missionary who returned from overseas. At least 21 people are alleged to have been affected at the church and the liberal media are trying to make a case that a “majority” of people had not been immunized. This of course ignores the fact that the missionary is immunized. People going overseas get a range of shots before they go. The “majority” argument is also a lie, because of the 27 measles cases in Texas, only 11 have apparently not been immunized. The reason some are saying a “majority” have not been immunized is that 11 of 16 at the church were not immunized. So five at the church were immunized and still got measles, while presumably (because the idiot media are not talking about it) 11 others in the state got it even though immunized. So a total of 11 were not, and 16 were, immunized. Seems to me the “majority” have in fact been immunized.

 

Obviously there is an attempt here to attack the church (in general), those who refuse vaccinations, and homeschooling. The facts are twisted out of shape to facilitate the attack. The fact that 16 of the 27 were immunized and still got measles is conveniently left out of the stories, because it doesn’t fit the agenda.

 

Then, to add insult to stupidity, the pastor of the church, one Terri Pearsons, false teaching daughter of the false teacher Kenneth Copeland, tells people that “faith” is doing what the government tells you to do. Or not. Her version of “faith” can apparently lead you to vaccinate, or not vaccinate. You are the determining factor.

 

This is not biblical faith. Biblical faith begins with trust in God and abiding in every word out of His mouth. There is no word in the Bible specifically about vaccinations. But there are related commands. The decision rests on applications of God’s Word. For instance, we’re not supposed to eat an animal carcass that died of itself, or eat blood. Vaccines are made from the blood of people and animals. Hmm. Faith, then, would be following what God said about blood.

 

Many of us who have decided not to vaccinate are going by what is in the vaccinations, their actual lack of effectiveness, the lies of the medical establishment and government, the side effects, and so on. Following all of God’s Words opens the eyes to the real agenda of the world, and the total lack of godliness in agendas such as the vaccination agenda.

 

A vaccination introduces the disease into your body in a way that is supposed to stimulate your body’s resistance to it. A percentage of people get the disease anyway. Another percentage experience side effects ranging from mild seizure to deafness, comas and permanent brain damage (for the MMR vaccine). Allegedly the side-effects are tiny, and the disease problems they are trying to avoid are huge. This turns out to be crap when it is you or a loved one who faces the side-effect. And considering that the vaccine doesn’t do that great of a job protecting from the disease, it seems plain that people with “faith” are the ones who see through the bull-doo doo because they follow God’s Word. His Laws are comprehensive and frequently protect us from bad stuff without even being aware of it. All we have to do is follow the prohibition on blood (which is even mentioned in Acts 15) and it protects us from untold problems. Gee, who would’ve thunk it?

Posted in Clean & Unclean • Daily Living • Paganism • Righteousness • Works

It’s Our House

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So if “it’s our house we can do what we want to,” why is it that we choose sexual immorality and perversion over what is right and good and clean?

If we have “free will” or “freedom in Christ,” why do we choose disobedience to God over obedience? Why do we choose to abide in our own knowledge instead of abiding in every word from God’s mouth?

I know what it was like to live in downtown Sodom. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what pop culture (and we use the term “culture” here very loosely) looked like in the middle of Canaan 3,000 years ago. It’s obvious what was happening just before the flood that caused God to say “every thought was only evil continually.” We don’t even have to use our imaginations. We get it in living color and high definition beamed into every corner of our communication receivers every minute of every day. We’ve got freedom, but look what we’ve done with it.

We cut ourselves loose from God, and this is the best we can come up with? Spiraling down and down to ever slimier, more perverted, unrestrained destructive and sterile wickedness? We refuse a drink from the wellspring of the living God, but don’t mind at all drinking from the toilet of modern culture? No wonder pagans were considered dogs. Running around focused on genitals and sensory satisfaction to the exclusion of all else, modern dogs show us what it means to live with no anchor, no boundaries and no life. Dressed up with sparkling lights, neon colors, gyrating dance moves and electric sounds there is the appearance of life, but for those who can see it still looks like horrifying death. Thank God we don’t have smell-vision yet. Audiences worship at the altar of American idols to self-will, making sacrifices and offerings of souls, refusing to repent of their pride, choosing instead lifeless manikins of plastic and makeup.

Even when they try to be good the idols fall short, because their good is merely a harsh echo of God’s and no more than a hand wave on the departing Titanic. Like whitewash on a tomb are the bright spotlights and gaudy clothes of the stage and screen. Feelings are no substitute for the energy and dynamic life of the holy Spirit, which only flows from a heart of flesh tuned to God’s Word.

Posted in Authority • Cults • Daily Living • Idolatry • Law • Love • Prophecy • Repentance • Worship

Judging with Righteous Judgement Pt. 5 – How To Spot a False Prophet

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It’s very simple to spot a false prophet. The Bible gives us excellent instructions. All we’ve got to do is read and we’ll figure it out in an instant. Not only must he be 100% correct if he prophesies about the future, he must not direct other people away from God or God’s Word.
“But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.” Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.” (Jeremiah 23:14–15, ESV)
Jeremiah is not just speaking of prophets of a particular location, but to all those who do the same things.

 

A false prophet talks about following the Bible but doesn’t follow the whole book. He is a part-Bible expert, like his father, the father of lies. He picks and chooses what Scripture he preaches, and is even pickier about which Scripture he follows. He wants people to follow himself rather than God.
“To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” (Isaiah 8:20, ESV)
“Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32, ESV)

 

The false prophet takes the Law into his own hands to misuse it for his own gain. He allows and encourages sexual immorality including divorce and homosexuality (the teachings of Balaam). He is more concerned about self-defined acceptance, tolerance, and unconditional love than God’s definition of holy love and grace or His command to repent.

 

A true prophet will speak according to the entirety of God’s Word. One of the ways we know Jesus was a true prophet, and The Prophet whom Moses said would come, is that He spoke the words of God given to Moses. All other prophets of God do the same. A simple test is, do they follow all of God’s Law or not?
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18–19, ESV)

 

A false prophet glorifies himself rather than God. God is glorified when His Word is taught, lived, and defended.
“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. (John 7:18, ESV)”
The minister sent by God is one who speaks all of God’s words without fail and without compromise.

 

A false prophet speaks visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. He says “all will be well” and “no disasters will befall” those who despise the word of the Lord and follow their own heart instead of God’s heart.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’ ” (Jeremiah 23:16–17, ESV)

 

A true prophet of God will warn of departure from God’s word. He will speak the words of God, the first one of which is REPENT.
“I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.” (Jeremiah 23:21–22, ESV)

 

A false prophet tells people to go after other gods, either in the form of idols or self-image. Going after other god’s means to obey something or someone other than God. God tests us with many false prophets, and there are many today teaching that we don’t have to listen to all of the words of God. The true prophet says that we shall keep God’s commandments and obey His voice, serve Him and hold fast to Him.
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 13:1–4, ESV)

 

Do not fail the test.
Shalom

Posted in Bible

Publishing Update for Whole Bible Christianity

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Just got done making a Scripture index for the book Whole Bible Christianity. Over 1,300 entries covering maybe three thousand or more different verses. There’s a little duplication between references and quotes, but every book of the Bible is included and over 800 verses are fully quoted.

 

It took probably 10 or 12 hours to put it together, because each reference had to have it’s own mark and it took a little while to figure out how I was going to format it. I am amazed at how interconnected much of the Bible is with God’s Law and its applicability to almost any subject. How could I have missed it for so many years? Probably because of the near universal attempts to blind, misdirect, distract, and outright bamboozle anyone who shows the slightest interest in what is plainly taught on every page. With a little of my own hard-heartedness thrown in which contributed to my blindness I guess.

 

It’s also amazing how fiercely people (especially church people) fight against something that is so obvious and has so much support from every corner of God’s Word. And why? For not much more than a few diet tips, some holidays, avoiding sexual immorality and making sure we don’t step in what is unclean? That’s it? Well no, that’s not it. The real problem is the objective, absolute standard. That’s what really freaks people out. We’d rather eat from the tree of knowledge and pursue our own course than admit we need to turn around and live by every word out of the mouth of God.

 

Taken together, every quote or reference in Whole Bible Christianity shows an overwhelmingly beautiful picture of God’s living oracles, and the many blessings waiting to fall into the laps of every believer, pressed down and overflowing. All it takes is humility to kneel before the King and give Him back just a little of what He has given us.

 

Consider helping us in our quest to get Whole Bible Christianity published. Read a draft manuscript at http://www.wholebible.com/Whole_Bible_Christianity.htm if you want and give us your comments. The next step is to buy ISBN numbers (about $300.00) and publish it to Kindle. If we can get some traction there then maybe we can get a publisher interested. Or we could just bypass the publishers and self-publish, but that will take anywhere from $7,000.00 to $10,000.00 depending on how many copies we want to order right off the bat. Well also need to do some traveling and speaking to promote it. If you would like to help, go to our Contact page at http://www.wholebible.com/contact.htm for information on how to get in touch. Thanks for staying up with Whole Bible and for all your prayers. And thanks to people like my wife and Shari who have already helped out tremendously.

 

Shalom

Posted in Blessing • Daily Living • Judgment • Law • Love • Reward

Judging with Righteous Judgment Pt. 4 – Honor Parents

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The admonition to honor father and mother is one of the toughest to apply in these “progressive” times. Parents are not always right. In fact many of them are consistently very, very wrong. Too many are listening to liberal philosophies of men and ignoring what God says for living and raising kids. We (especially older “we’s”) can point fingers at the younger generation’s growing refusal to honor their elders, but not without the proverbial three fingers pointing back at us. The parents are the ones that produced the younger generation. If they have shortcomings it’s obvious that we are the ones who made them that way. We don’t follow God’s ways ourselves, but then wonder why our children turn out to be so lawless.

 

That doesn’t let the youngsters off the hook, though. Sooner or later they grow up, and make their own choices. Frequently they take the hard work and sacrifice of parents and squander it on selfish decisions (like the prodigal son). There are other role models than parents they can look to, and many biblical helps available if they used their “free will” to choose them. God tells us that in the last days the love of many will wax cold (that means get colder and colder for you modern graduates of the public school system).

 

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:12, AV)

 

“Iniquity” is none other than lawlessness. Living without the Law. The church leads the way in this department with many many excuses for why they don’t follow parts or the whole of the Law. So not only do parents share the blame for the fecklessness of the younger generation, but churches are bearing a chunk of the blame too.

 

The primary meaning of “honor” is to take care of your parents when they need it. This includes financial help, or help with living arrangements, or legal assistance.

 

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:10–13, ESV)

 

It also means to respect your elders for the good things they do and forgive them for the bad things. Parents can make it tough to be honored. Sometimes they refuse help. Other times they just aren’t deserving of help. Honoring parents does not mean you agree with everything they do or say. Sometimes too, we cannot honor our fathers and mothers because they are far from the faith. In that case perhaps the best you can do is to just be ready to honor them, avoid bad attitudes, and forgive.

 

I try to honor my adoptive mother (father’s gone now) but she really makes it tough. She has wandered from the faith and has hard feelings towards me. She sort of booted me out of her life a year ago and “adopted” another son (a son of a friend) to take care of her end of life issues. I still honor her in prayer and attitude though, and if I get a chance I will honor her as she needs in other ways too.

 

I can’t properly communicate how pleased I am that my kids honor their parents. Mostly. 🙂 They have financially helped us quite a bit in these tough economic times. My daughter and son-in-law in particular give their tithe to us. This will redound to their heavenly bank account in multiples. I’m not taking any of that away from them with public praise because they are not doing it for that reason. They are doing it because they are honoring God and honoring their parents. But it doesn’t hurt to give them some praise anyway because they’ll be picking our nursing home too!

 

Righteous judgment begins in the individual with self-analysis and application. Honoring parents is a part of it. Not as a take-it-or-leave-it suggestion, but as bedrock for any other blessings God wants to give us.

 

“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:2–3, ESV)