Tag Archive: Bible


God’s Faithfulness is Tied to Israel

Filed under: Truth — 1 Comment
September 13, 2010

God’s faithfulness is centered in His very nature and is inextricably linked to His promises both from the Old and New Testaments.  How can we as New Testament saints trust our God for eternal life if He hasn’t kept His promises recorded by the prophets of old?  There is much danger for those who believe that God’s promises to Israel have been broken and transferred to the Church.  To believe this one must say God has either edited or worse yet revoked His very faithful covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  

How ironic it is for those who correctly believe so strongly that the Old Testament is the foundation of the new, and Creation as literal, to say that God’s promises to Israel are either allegorical or no longer applicable.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God’s promises are irrevocable, and Israel’s blindness is not in full, but in part.  

 For those who think God is through with Israel, the challenge of this article is to lay aside all that you’ve been taught and let your Savior’s Word speak plainly to you.  Consider a few of the Old Testament promises to Israel from the LORD God. (Note: All emphasis added below is mine.)

  • Genesis 28:13 and 15– “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed…And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”
  • Exodus 12:23 and 24– “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.” 
  • 2 Samuel 7:23-26– “And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For Thou hast confirmed to Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as Thou hast said. And let Thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee.”
  • 1 Kings 10:9- “Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.”
  • 1 Kings 11:39- “And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.”
  • 1 Chronicles 16:12-19- “Remember His marvellous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth; O ye seed of Israel His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word which He commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and of His oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance; When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.”
  • 2 Chronicles 33:7b- “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever.”
  • Psalm 105:6-11- “O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye children of Jacob His chosen. He is the LORD our God: His judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance…”
  • Jeremiah 31:7-13- “For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn. Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.”
  • Jeremiah 31:31-32-“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD…”
  • Jeremiah 33:14-16-“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”
  • Jeremiah 33:20-21a–“Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break My covenant of the day, and My covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant…”
  • Jermiah 33:25-26a-“Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant…”
  • Jeremiah 51:5-“For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of His God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.”
  • Ezekiel 11:17-“Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”

One final note:  God is called the God of Israel 201 times. 

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.” Isaiah 43:15

For a good follow-up article concerning God’s Word and Israel, see- “Israel and Prophetic Proof” Part 1 from The Berean Call at: http://www.thebereancall.org/node/7745

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The First And Final Lie- Quotable from TBC

Filed under: Edifying Quotes — Leave a comment
August 27, 2010

“Self rules in the heart of every person, even at times among new creatures in Christ. Satan has not missed any opportunity to entice the world into seeking his delusionary prize of godhood. The idea that man could become a god, or part of God, or that he is a god but doesn’t yet realize his divinity, may seem farfetched to some people, but that’s because they are simply unaware of how prevalent this belief is. Furthermore, from a biblical perspective, the criterion for being a god is rather simple. Everyone who has not submitted to Jesus Christ and has not been reconciled to God through faith in Christ’s finished sacrifice as payment for his sins qualifies as a god–that is, an autonomous, or self-governing, being who has elevated self over his Creator. As Dave Hunt has noted, “The basic cause of the many problems in the world today is not that man fails to recognize his godhood but rather that there are about seven billion gods on this planet, each one doing his or her own thing.”  The First and Final Lie: Self Deification, The Berean Call Newsletter.

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To Be or Not to Be… Consistent

Filed under: Truth — Leave a comment
July 10, 2010

Consistency is basically defined as carefully sticking with what you believe both in word and deed. No matter the profession, sport, or trade, consistency usually demonstrates mastery over a particular practice.  Even though consistency is many times looked at as an admirable trait, an important question must be asked. In the areas of religion, philosophy, and spirituality, is consistency always a good thing? I believe the answer to this is no.  I, for one, am glad that most who claim to be spiritual are not consistent.  Let me briefly explain. 

Although there is much to be said in this area, for sake of time let us look at those who fall under the category of spiritual relativism.  There are many who would say that there is no such thing as absolute truth.  They would say that spiritually speaking everything  is relative. They would also say that nothing can be known with certainty, and meaning is up to the individual.  Those falling under this loosely defined category would most likely say that experience is the best way to determine truth, and knowledge is trumped by one’s personal experiences.  With regards to Heaven and eternity, they would say that all roads lead to the same place and that many different beliefs, regardless of contradictions all basically mean the same thing. 

What if those who hold to spiritual relativism decided to express their philosophical and spiritual beliefs consistently in their day-to-day lives? If this happened, it would actually lead to the world being a much more dangerous place.  Before you say this is ridiculous, let’s say I believe there are no absolutes.  Let’s say I  think I can create reality any way I want. One morning it occurs to me that I have not been consistent with my beliefs in every area of my life.  So I pledge to practice consistent relativism throughout my days from that point forward.  So while driving to work, I am emotionally moved to drive on the opposite side of the road.and despite the obvious consequences I obey my feelings.  After causing several accidents,  I decide to continue practicing consistency in my belief that all roads lead to the same place by driving in the opposite direction of my job, blindly hoping that I will eventually end up at my place of employment.  After driving for hours, I’m finally forced to put my spiritual beliefs aside for a time, turning on my Garmin to prevent getting fired for missing a full day of work.   

In the same vein, I’m very glad the spiritually relativistic man who is a doctor does not practice his beliefs while I’m on the operating table.  Even in education, most teachers who pride themselves on being relativistic use assessments that are far from it.  Can you imagine answering questions on the test any way you feel, then after receiving an F, you protest to your teacher?  You argue, saying, “Excuse me Mrs. Teacher, I believe my way is as good as yours.  After all, there really are no absolute truths.  What’s right for you may not be right for me.”  Then your teacher realizes her inconsistencies between belief and practice, changing your grade from an F to an A.  While you might rejoice in the short run, after graduating high school you realize that you have actually learned almost nothing. 

Not only would the world be more dangerous and unlearned,  it would also be a much less productive place. From the factory to the construction site, once relativism is put into practice, all would basically come to a stand still. So as for me, I must say I am elated that most who show signs of relativistic beliefs are not consistent. By taking spiritual relativism to its logical conclusions, I must say that it is not good for every spiritual and philosophical belief to be practiced consistently.   

So do consistency and spirituality ever come together in an eternally beneficial way?  Absolutely!  Let us quickly consider the one belief system which is different from any other in the world- that which is found in the Bible.  While relativism, when practiced day-to-day would logically lead to degradation, those born-again, Bible believing Christians who practice consistency will bring true Light and Life to the dark and dead world around them. 

So the question to everyone who believes that the Bible is the exclusive and absolute true Word of God is this: Are you consistent with what God has revealed in His Word? Israel serves as a good example of inconsistency.  Even though redeemed by the True and Living God, Israel chased after other gods, to which the Lord spoke through Jeremiah saying, “Has a nation [ever]changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but My people [Israel] have changed their glory for that which does not profit.” Jeremiah 2:11 

A word of encouragement…

Thank God that the Christian’s consistency is not left up to him to accomplish alone.  The Lord has sent His Spirit to dwell within all those who have accepted the Gospel of God, turning from sinful self to the one and only Savior of mankind, Christ Jesus.  “Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:6 “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12 

Conclusion…

So I rejoice in the inconsistencies of those who hold to lies, and pray that they would see their own folly, but am saddened by the inconsistencies of myself and fellow brethren who hold to the Word of God.  May all earnestly seek to allow the Lord to reveal those areas which do not line up with His perfect Word so that we might more fully know and reveal the truth and love of Jesus both in word and in deed. 

To those who have ears, let them hear.

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Three Questions Everyone Must Ask!- Question 1: Where Did Life Come From?

Filed under: Creation — Leave a comment
April 19, 2010

Out of all the questions a person could ask, the origin of life is not only one of the most difficult to fully explore, it is also one of the hardest to define.  Although biologists might be able to study life in the present, there is no honest scientist that can aptly define what life truly is.  Life is more than biological and chemical pieces put in the correct order.  Life is more than animation.  Life is not the same as a computer and life is definitely not a robot.  Interestingly the Bible does not tiptoe around the subject or definition of life.  Continue reading →

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