What the Bible says about Jesus
The True Light "In him, (the Lord Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world,…the world didn’t recognize him." John 1:4,9.
The Good Seed and the Weeds “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seeds in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” Matthew 13:24,25.
The Good Seed and the Weeds “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seeds in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” Matthew 13:24,25.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Saturday, July 6, 2019
The Five Witnesses to the Truth of Jesus the Messiah
dr_woodhead
Introduction
At the time of Jesus, the ruling Jews did not believe who He was. Even though He proved to them by many facts and fulfilled prophecies, they nevertheless accused Him of blasphemy as they said He was making Himself out to equal with God (John 5:18). They had a validating procedure in place within the Mosaic Law to determine truth, but unfortunately did not rely on it to certify that He is the Messiah:
John 5:31–47
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words (KJV)?
The Jews were given certain methodologies within the Mosaic Law to validate truth. Our legal system is based in a large part on the Mosaic Law.
Pediment on the United States Supreme Court with Moses in the center
There are two basic rules of evidence for which a particular event can be validated. If it can be recreated, such as a scientific experiment we use the results of the experiment. For historical events that cannot be recreated credibleeyewitnessesare used. This is also stated in the Mosaic Law:
Numbers 35:30
30Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die (KJV).
In any case of homicide there needed to be witnesses to the act in order for guilt to be established, and one witness alone was not enough:
Deuteronomy 17:6-7
6At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.7The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So, thou shalt put the evil away from among you (KJV).
Deuteronomy 19:15
15One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established (KJV).
Moses laid down the principle that more than one witness was necessary to convict a man of a crime. This principle was to act as a safeguard against a false witness who might bring an untruthful charge against a fellow Israelite because of a quarrel, or out of some other impure motive. To insure against a capricious execution, two or three independent witnesses were required. One witness was inadequate because if he lied no one would be able to prove or disprove it. The witnesses were to be the first in the execution of justice. So, if their testimony was later proved false, they in effect would have committed murder and would be liable to execution.
The Lord Jesus using the same concept of validating truth through multiple witnesses as the method for eliminating unrepentant sinners from the Church:
Matthew 18: 15-17
15Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican (KJV).
The Lord had just spoken about offenses in Matthew 18:7-14, and starting in verse 15 He talked about what should be done when known sin occurs. When a brother sins against another, the two of them should discuss the matter. If the matter can be settled at that level, there is no need for it to go any further. But if the sinning brother refuses to listen … two or three witnesses should be taken along for a clear testimony. This was in keeping with Old Testament precedents, as in Deuteronomy 19:15. If the sinning brother still failed to recognize his error, the situation should be told before the entire church. The disciples probably would have understood Jesus to mean the matter should be brought before the Jewish assembly.
After the establishment of the church, on the day of Pentecost, these words would have had greater meaning for them. One who refuses to acknowledge his sin is then to be treated as an outsider, such as a pagan or a tax collector. So, the Jews were well aware of the method using witnesses to verify truth. Jesus begins this next session of Scripture with five (5) independent validations of Himself as God the Messiah.
The First One is confirming the Work of God the Father in Himself
For Jesus seeks to do God’s will during His earthly ministry and does not testify of Himself by Himself. This of course would be circular reasoning, and from a logic standpoint it would be an invalid argument.
John 5:30-47
30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true (KJV).
Some would have us believe that you cannot logically use the Bible to validate the Bible. For example, under this line of reasoning one could not logically use one section such as the Old Testament to validate the New Testament. The distinction is that the Bible is not one book. It is a collection of 66 individual books written by 40+ authors over a 1600-year period. It is sewn together in one binding. He asserts that the quality of His judgment on mankind is just because He does it based upon God’s will. God’s will, the Jews knew, was holy and just. So He is attesting to the validation of what He says as believable since He is saying what God has said all along to them through the Old Testament and the Mosaic Law.
The Second One is the Witness of John the Baptist
John was prophesied as the forerunner of The Christ (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1). The Jews knew that a person was coming who would introduce the Messiah when He appeared. They asked John if he was the Christ. John said that he was not the Christ, but that he was the one who was the forerunner. (John 1:15, 23):
John 5:33–35
33Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light (KJV).
The Third One is the Testimony of His Miracles
Jesus then goes on to present a third witness to validate His testimony of being The Christ. He asked them to see the works that He does (John 10:38; Hebrews 2:4):
John 5:36
36But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me (KJV).
He performed the miracles of healing; and of raising the dead which he alludes to here. He was also the greatest teacher that has ever been on the planet. The Jews did not understand how He knew so much as they considered Him as being “uneducated”.
The Fourth One is Jesus declaring that God’s Doctrine is independent of Man.
In John 7:16-17 Jesus states that God’s doctrine that He teaches is not His alone as a human. If He were simply a man, He would seek His own glory, not God’s. This validation is enhanced in John 5:37-38 where Jesus says that God’s doctrine does not abide in the Jews:
John 5:37–38
37And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.38And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not (KJV).
They do not know Him personally. If they knew God, they would have realized that God sent Jesus to preach the doctrine of God, and not the doctrine of man. They did not understand this, nor did they want to understand. They did not believe the prophets before Him and they would not believe Him as God. (Matthew 23:31; Luke 11:47; I Thessalonians 2:15).
The Fifth One is Jesus asking them to Confirm His claims from Scripture.
He says that Scriptures tell of Him coming and giving them eternal life. He states that they will not turn to Him to get eternal life. He tells them that they will listen to others but not Him. This is because they do not love God and do not know God’s voice. They were claiming to trust in Moses and the Mosaic Law, but Jesus countered that with an admonition that Moses accuses them through the Mosaic Law. Finally, Jesus tells them that Moses spoke of Him in the first five books of the Bible. Here Jesus affirms the validity of those books and who the author is.
The Pharisees had devoted their life to studying the Scriptures. Not so much as to what the fundamental plain message was but looking for the minutia and esoteric. Early Church theologian Origen taught that there were three levels of Scripture elucidation:
John 5:39–47
39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words (KJV)?
It is interesting that Jesus was declaring to them that in their adherence to group acceptance (v.37), they missed Him and His message. Instead of seeking God and what would bring Glory to Him, they continued to seek acceptance from their peers. This is the same as “group think.” Moses wrote of Christ in Genesis 3:15; Numbers 21:9; 24:17; Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Since they did not believe in Him, they could not possibly believe in Moses either, and their claim to follow the Law was unsubstantiated.
Conclusion
We too have these five proofs, and we also have Christ’s validation of the Old Testament as truth.
Daniel E. Woodhead
Introduction
At the time of Jesus, the ruling Jews did not believe who He was. Even though He proved to them by many facts and fulfilled prophecies, they nevertheless accused Him of blasphemy as they said He was making Himself out to equal with God (John 5:18). They had a validating procedure in place within the Mosaic Law to determine truth, but unfortunately did not rely on it to certify that He is the Messiah:
John 5:31–47
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words (KJV)?
The Jews were given certain methodologies within the Mosaic Law to validate truth. Our legal system is based in a large part on the Mosaic Law.
Pediment on the United States Supreme Court with Moses in the center
There are two basic rules of evidence for which a particular event can be validated. If it can be recreated, such as a scientific experiment we use the results of the experiment. For historical events that cannot be recreated credibleeyewitnessesare used. This is also stated in the Mosaic Law:
Numbers 35:30
30Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die (KJV).
In any case of homicide there needed to be witnesses to the act in order for guilt to be established, and one witness alone was not enough:
Deuteronomy 17:6-7
6At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.7The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So, thou shalt put the evil away from among you (KJV).
Deuteronomy 19:15
15One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established (KJV).
Moses laid down the principle that more than one witness was necessary to convict a man of a crime. This principle was to act as a safeguard against a false witness who might bring an untruthful charge against a fellow Israelite because of a quarrel, or out of some other impure motive. To insure against a capricious execution, two or three independent witnesses were required. One witness was inadequate because if he lied no one would be able to prove or disprove it. The witnesses were to be the first in the execution of justice. So, if their testimony was later proved false, they in effect would have committed murder and would be liable to execution.
The Lord Jesus using the same concept of validating truth through multiple witnesses as the method for eliminating unrepentant sinners from the Church:
Matthew 18: 15-17
15Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican (KJV).
The Lord had just spoken about offenses in Matthew 18:7-14, and starting in verse 15 He talked about what should be done when known sin occurs. When a brother sins against another, the two of them should discuss the matter. If the matter can be settled at that level, there is no need for it to go any further. But if the sinning brother refuses to listen … two or three witnesses should be taken along for a clear testimony. This was in keeping with Old Testament precedents, as in Deuteronomy 19:15. If the sinning brother still failed to recognize his error, the situation should be told before the entire church. The disciples probably would have understood Jesus to mean the matter should be brought before the Jewish assembly.
After the establishment of the church, on the day of Pentecost, these words would have had greater meaning for them. One who refuses to acknowledge his sin is then to be treated as an outsider, such as a pagan or a tax collector. So, the Jews were well aware of the method using witnesses to verify truth. Jesus begins this next session of Scripture with five (5) independent validations of Himself as God the Messiah.
The First One is confirming the Work of God the Father in Himself
For Jesus seeks to do God’s will during His earthly ministry and does not testify of Himself by Himself. This of course would be circular reasoning, and from a logic standpoint it would be an invalid argument.
John 5:30-47
30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true (KJV).
Some would have us believe that you cannot logically use the Bible to validate the Bible. For example, under this line of reasoning one could not logically use one section such as the Old Testament to validate the New Testament. The distinction is that the Bible is not one book. It is a collection of 66 individual books written by 40+ authors over a 1600-year period. It is sewn together in one binding. He asserts that the quality of His judgment on mankind is just because He does it based upon God’s will. God’s will, the Jews knew, was holy and just. So He is attesting to the validation of what He says as believable since He is saying what God has said all along to them through the Old Testament and the Mosaic Law.
The Second One is the Witness of John the Baptist
John was prophesied as the forerunner of The Christ (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1). The Jews knew that a person was coming who would introduce the Messiah when He appeared. They asked John if he was the Christ. John said that he was not the Christ, but that he was the one who was the forerunner. (John 1:15, 23):
John 5:33–35
33Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light (KJV).
The Third One is the Testimony of His Miracles
Jesus then goes on to present a third witness to validate His testimony of being The Christ. He asked them to see the works that He does (John 10:38; Hebrews 2:4):
John 5:36
36But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me (KJV).
He performed the miracles of healing; and of raising the dead which he alludes to here. He was also the greatest teacher that has ever been on the planet. The Jews did not understand how He knew so much as they considered Him as being “uneducated”.
The Fourth One is Jesus declaring that God’s Doctrine is independent of Man.
In John 7:16-17 Jesus states that God’s doctrine that He teaches is not His alone as a human. If He were simply a man, He would seek His own glory, not God’s. This validation is enhanced in John 5:37-38 where Jesus says that God’s doctrine does not abide in the Jews:
John 5:37–38
37And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.38And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not (KJV).
They do not know Him personally. If they knew God, they would have realized that God sent Jesus to preach the doctrine of God, and not the doctrine of man. They did not understand this, nor did they want to understand. They did not believe the prophets before Him and they would not believe Him as God. (Matthew 23:31; Luke 11:47; I Thessalonians 2:15).
The Fifth One is Jesus asking them to Confirm His claims from Scripture.
He says that Scriptures tell of Him coming and giving them eternal life. He states that they will not turn to Him to get eternal life. He tells them that they will listen to others but not Him. This is because they do not love God and do not know God’s voice. They were claiming to trust in Moses and the Mosaic Law, but Jesus countered that with an admonition that Moses accuses them through the Mosaic Law. Finally, Jesus tells them that Moses spoke of Him in the first five books of the Bible. Here Jesus affirms the validity of those books and who the author is.
The Pharisees had devoted their life to studying the Scriptures. Not so much as to what the fundamental plain message was but looking for the minutia and esoteric. Early Church theologian Origen taught that there were three levels of Scripture elucidation:
-
- The plain message from the text.
- The application.
- The hidden message between the lines.
John 5:39–47
39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words (KJV)?
It is interesting that Jesus was declaring to them that in their adherence to group acceptance (v.37), they missed Him and His message. Instead of seeking God and what would bring Glory to Him, they continued to seek acceptance from their peers. This is the same as “group think.” Moses wrote of Christ in Genesis 3:15; Numbers 21:9; 24:17; Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Since they did not believe in Him, they could not possibly believe in Moses either, and their claim to follow the Law was unsubstantiated.
Conclusion
We too have these five proofs, and we also have Christ’s validation of the Old Testament as truth.
- Jesus pointed to “the scriptures.” The only sacred writings that the Jews possessed that foretold the coming of the Messiah were the books of the Old Testament. Here, Jesus validates them as Scripture. He also cited the Old Testament as a true and reliable source of history.
- Jesus cites the very first sentence in the Old Testament (Mark 13:19; Revelation 3:14). Jesus confirmed that He created all things (Colossians 1:15-16). The word“beginning” in Revelation 3:14 refers to the active cause or prime source of the creation.
- He acknowledged that Adam and Eve were created (Matthew 19:4; Genesis 1:27; 5:2)
- Jesus mentioned Adam and Eve’s son Abel in Matthew 23:35. Jesus not only confirmed Abel’s existence, but He referred to his righteousness as well. Also discussed in this verse is the murder of Zechariah, son of Barachias (or Berechiah, as the New King James Version renders it). Undoubtedly, this refers to the prophet of the Old Testament, whose father was Berechiah (Zechariah 1:1).
- Jesus cited Noah’s ark and the Flood in Matthew 24:37-39. He also mentioned the account of Sodom and Gomorrah in Luke 17:28-29, 32. Jesus gave personal testimony of the Flood! He corroborated its history, alluded to its causes and reiterated the universal death—except for Noah and his family—that occurred. He also validated the veracity of the Old Testament’s account of Sodom and Gomorrah as recorded in Genesis 19.
- Jesus attested to Abraham’s existence. John 8:37. He also recognized Abraham’s son and grandson—Isaac and Jacob in Matthew 8:11.
- He referenced the Prophet Moses in John 5:46-47. Jesus was speaking to Jews who wanted to kill Him (verses 16, 18), and He rebuked them because they did not believe what Moses prophesied about Him in the Old Testament Scriptures.
- Jesus verified that King David lived in Matthew 12:3. He identified King Solomon Matthew 12: 42. These scriptures prove that Jesus Christ believed and accepted the testimony of the Old Testament as absolutely authoritative! He is the God of the Old Testament and saw all the events chronicled in its writings (1 Corinthians 10:1-4; John 8:58; Exodus 3:14).
- The Apostle Paul tells us about the Scriptures in 2 Timothy 3:15-16. Writings are considered Scripture if they are inspired by God or, more correctly, “God-breathed.” When Paul wrote, the only “scriptures” in existence were the books of the Old Testament. The New Testament was not completed. Paul taught that all Scripture is to be used to establish doctrine, correct false beliefs or errant behavior, and instruct and train in righteousness!
- Isaiah did prophesy concerning God’s Word in Isaiah 40:8. This was repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1:25. Jesus prophesied regarding His words in Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; and Luke 21:33.
Daniel E. Woodhead
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Hispanic pastors tour border facility lambasted by AOC and say they are ‘shocked by misinformation’
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez
was "full of indignation" when he saw the reports and heard from
politicians about the deplorable and inhumane conditions for illegal
immigrants at an El Paso County, Texas migrant detention center. But
what he saw at the same facility toured by Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. with a group of pastors was "drastically
different."
The president of the National
Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the world's largest Hispanic
Christian organization, and senior pastor of New Seasons Christian
Worship Center in Sacramento shared his firsthand experience touring a
migrant detention center during a press briefing Monday.
“I read the reports, saw the news clips. I just wanted to see what was actually happening in order to better enable our efforts to find a fair and a just solution to our broken immigration system," Rodriguez, who has advised President Trump and both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush on immigration reform, noted. “To my surprise, I saw something drastically different from the stories I’ve been hearing in our national discourse. Even as a veteran of immigration advocacy in the U.S., I was shocked at the misinformation of the crisis at the border."
Video
The group of pastors saw a very different picture described by Ocasio-Cortez and other politicians and media outlets.
“We found no soiled diapers, no deplorable conditions and no lack of basic necessities,” Rodriguez remarked, adding he specifically asked border agents if they staged the facility in response to the negative press. “They unequivocally denied it — we were witnessing the identical conditions the attorneys saw when they toured the facility days earlier.
"In fact, some told him the sources from whom the negative coverage originated “never toured the areas of the facility that we toured” and speculated they might have had political motivations.
The pastors left encouraged by the commitment and dedication of America’s Border Patrol and immigration officers, “many of which are Latinos, by the way.” He said one emotional Border Patrol agent turned to him and said, referring to the vilification: “Pastor Sam, what they’re saying about us is completely false. We care about these kids and have a passion for our calling.”
The group of pastors saw a very different picture described by Ocasio-Cortez and other politicians and media outlets.
“We found no soiled diapers, no deplorable conditions and no lack of basic necessities,” Rodriguez remarked, adding he specifically asked border agents if they staged the facility in response to the negative press. “They unequivocally denied it — we were witnessing the identical conditions the attorneys saw when they toured the facility days earlier.
"In fact, some told him the sources from whom the negative coverage originated “never toured the areas of the facility that we toured” and speculated they might have had political motivations.
The pastors left encouraged by the commitment and dedication of America’s Border Patrol and immigration officers, “many of which are Latinos, by the way.” He said one emotional Border Patrol agent turned to him and said, referring to the vilification: “Pastor Sam, what they’re saying about us is completely false. We care about these kids and have a passion for our calling.”
Rodriguez points blame for that broken immigration system at consecutive White House administrations and especially both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress and implored each to “address the system they created.”
“What's heart-wrenching is that we have both Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress, who can't come together for the purpose of doing the right thing and finding a solution to our immigration crisis,” he said. “Please, President Trump, please White House, work with the Republicans and the Democrats [and] please, please, please, please, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, please come together to solve this crisis, immediately.”
Caleb Parke is an associate editor for FoxNews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @calebparke
A Come-to-Jesus-Moment - Hal Lindsey
A Come-to-Jesus-Moment By Hal Lindsey
The big game is almost over. The coach calls a timeout.
He huddles with his players near the sideline. We see him speaking to
them passionately and from the heart. He’s getting them ready to play
will all their might for the next few minutes. As we see the players on
the field, there’s a good chance we will hear the TV announcer say that
the players are having a “come to Jesus moment.”
Over the last few years, people throughout the culture
have talked about having “come to Jesus moments.” It has become a common
way to refer to any earnest, heart-to-heart appeal from one person to a
group of people.
Of course, a real “come to Jesus moment” is infinitely
more profound than a coach firing up his team. But it might not be as
emotional. Sometimes there are tears when people come to Jesus, but not
always. Sometimes it is in response to a heartfelt, emotional plea by
someone else. But it might be while they are alone, perhaps walking and
thinking, or reading.
Sometimes people go to church and have a powerful
emotional experience. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they have really
come to Jesus. Maybe they felt bad about a sin and stepped forward in
church hoping to stop that particular sin. But saying, “I promise never
to do it again,” is not the same as “coming to Jesus” and receiving His
gift of grace.
Romans 10:1-4 says, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my
prayer to God for them [Israel] is for their salvation. For I bear them
witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with
knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to
establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the
righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone who believes.”
We know from Romans 9:31, that the word “they” refers to
“Israel.” Individual Jews were being saved, but Israel as a group had
rejected Jesus. Paul’s desire was for the whole nation to be saved.
Having formerly been one of the most zealous of Jews, he understood the
zeal for God that many Jews felt. But, he said, it was “not in
accordance with knowledge.”
What knowledge did they lack? They lacked the same
knowledge that most people lack in our day. They didn’t grasp the scope
of “God’s righteousness.” Look carefully at Romans 10:3. “For not
knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own,
they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”
Notice how each phrase is proven by the next. They don’t
really understand God’s righteousness. Because of that, they think they
can create their own. That leads to the fatal error of not subjecting
themselves to the righteousness of God.
That’s what’s happening to millions around the world.
They don’t understand God’s righteousness, so they’re trying to save
themselves by establishing our own. In Luke 18, Jesus told the parable
of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. That story is introduced by the
statement, “He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous.”
You will only trust in yourself that you are righteous if
you lack an understanding of God’s perfect righteousness. And make no
mistake. His righteousness is the standard. Anything less is not good
enough.
That’s why Jesus, God the Son, became a man, and lived a
perfect human life. He could live the perfect standard as a man because
He is also God. He not only took our sins on Himself at the cross, but
to all who believe He also transfers the gift of His perfect
righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Because our goodness can never measure up to God’s standard of goodness, it is essential that we “come to Jesus.”
Sunday, June 30, 2019
New Age Spirituality & The Sons of God :: By Gary Ritter
Published on: by RRadmin7 Category:General Articles
In order to see the nature of these roots, we have to look at the Bible in a new way, actually one that is old. It’s all about context. How would ancient Israel, and the nations surrounding her, have understood various concepts that we read in Scripture, but we pass by as throwaway passages because we don’t have the proper context, nor desire to apprehend the supernatural as those in past millennia did?
One of the keys in this approach is found in two passages from Deuteronomy. The first is Deuteronomy 4:15-19, which reads:
“Therefore, watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”
The second is Deuteronomy 32:8-9:
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord‘s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.”
In the Deuteronomy 4 passage, God warns His people Israel not to follow false gods; they are allotted to every other nation except Israel. But we know the story. Israel did exactly the opposite. She bowed down and served the gods of other nations.
The verses in Deuteronomy 32 round this out for us. They say that God placed other nations under the control of other gods. When He did that, however, He called Abraham, who then fathered the nation of Israel that became God’s special people. They would be His heritage, His inheritance. We also know that from them all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Who are these gods that God the Most High placed over the nations? They are the members of His divine council we see in Psalm 82:1, divine beings He created to be part of His family:
“God stands in the divine assembly; he administers judgment in the midst of the gods.”
In this psalm we gain a clear picture that His divine sons have been corrupt in their administration over the nations. God admonishes them in verses 2-5:
“How long will you judge unjustly
and show favoritism to the wicked? Selah
Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan;
provide justice to the afflicted and the poor.
Rescue the helpless and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
They do not know or consider.
They go about in the darkness,
so that all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
These sons of God, the divine rulers He placed over the nations, became wicked. They harmed mankind in their divine oversight. God is quite displeased; He rebukes them. Then He issues a decree as to their ultimate fate in verses 6-7:
“I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”’
In other words, these divine beings that God entrusted to responsibly do a job for Him failed miserably. They took the same attitude that we see with Satan in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. Effectively, through their pride, they decided they could do a better job of “godding” than God. They had free will, just as God created mankind to have. They used it poorly and will suffer the consequences. Though divine, they will die like men.
Ultimately, God will right this wrong. The final verse in Psalm 82, verse 8 gives us that assurance:
“Rise up, O God, judge the earth, because you shall inherit all the nations.”
God will take back the nations from these unjust divine rulers. His plans and purposes will prevail.
All this has been background to my premise. These are the roots. How does this equate with New Age Oneness?
Recall that God had directed mankind twice to go throughout the earth, multiply, subdue, and have dominion. He told Adam this (Genesis 1:28), and we know where that went. He also told Noah this following the flood (Genesis 9:1-2). It’s clear that God intends for mankind to multiply, subdue, and have dominion over the earth.
But what did men do? They gathered in Babylon to build a tower. Their intent was to stay there and bring God down to them on their terms. Of course, that’s not what He wanted. He would have none of that. So, He confused their language and scattered them throughout the earth. In doing this, that’s where Deuteronomy 32 comes into play. This is where God assigns members of His divine council to administer the nations. This is what we call the Deuteronomy 32 worldview.
The original desire of mankind, in contradiction to God’s will, was to come together as one, seen in the building of the Tower of Babel. Although each god over his own nation is doing his own thing, the inclination of them all is to thwart God’s intent and man’s understanding of who God is.
God is our creator. He is separate and above all things. He wants to restore our relationship with Him, but that can only be done on His terms. It turns out that the means for this is through the incarnation of Jesus, His death, and His resurrection—all contrary to what these rulers and authorities over the nations want. Besides, when God ultimately accomplishes His will, these divine sons will be toast. They will be cast into hell; they will die like mortal men.
So, the plot thickens. What can these rebellious sons do? They will mislead men and their understanding of the nature of reality. They will confuse men as to who and what they are.
These gods do this by teaching men that they are all part of a seamless fabric – Mankind is not only part of all creation; it is one with it. There is no difference between a man and an ape. Man evolved from the muck. The oneness man feels when he looks at the trees is because he is part of them and they are part of him. In fact, because man is in all, he is also god, the one universal essence and energy in the universe.
This all comes together in the ancient and the New Age religions. It will have its final fulfillment in the 7-year Tribulation with the rise of the One-World Religion.
When we talk about the fact that we’re in a spiritual battle, it is much greater than most of us realize. There’s a much bigger picture at play here that we typically see. Its roots are extensive, and it involves all the spiritual entities that Paul writes about in Ephesians 6:12:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
…and Colossians 1:16:
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
It is all these entities that have rebelled against God that we struggle with in the flesh. This great eons-old war is coming to a head. When Jesus came, He threw down the gauntlet that God was about ready to take back what is rightfully His. That’s the last thing these rulers want, so the battle is intense, and it’s growing by the day. It will reach a fever pitch following the Rapture of the Church as the Restrainer is removed. At that point, lawlessness originated by these demonic entities will have its day.
We generally think it’s just Satan we have to worry about as the director of the chaos that will soon erupt on the earth, but he’s got a lot of powerful friends in high places. The corrupt sons of God will have a major part in the violence that fleshly rulers will perpetrate in the world.
But God is in charge. He is greater than any of His sons, these divine and wicked rulers. He created them; He can and will destroy them.
Our job is to remember who we are in Christ and to warn others of the horrors to come, even as we show them the love of God. Let us keep our eyes on Him, and these pretenders to the throne will never deceive us.
—————
Gary Ritter is a lay pastor and serves as Missions Director at his church. He is also a prolific author. His Whirlwind Series is comprised of three books: Sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind, and There Is A Time. All these books are also contained in the collected volume of the just-released Whirlwind Omnibus. Gary has a standalone novel of supernatural suspense, The Tattooed Cat, and plans to release Alien Revelation – The Unveiling, the first novel in a new series The Sons of God Chronicles in early Fall 2019. You can reach him via his website at www.GaryRitter.com or at his Facebook Author page at https://www.facebook.com/gritter3390.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Lord, What Time is it?
Re-published, revised from a 10/17/2010 article. Original notebook entry circa 1998.
A teacher gathers his students around a fancy chronometer watch that indicates everything about time that 21st century man needs to know in order to live a full life. He has removed carefully the crystal in the front and is showing the face with all the many different hands.
What time is it? he asks the young people. Everyone gives the right time in unison.
How about now ? removing the tenth of second hand. Still the same answer.
Then, the teacher removes the second hand and the students can still give him the correct time within a minute.
Now he removes the minute hand, leaving only the hour hand. Can we still tell the time?
Yes, of course, respond the students. It is sufficient to indicate the
hour.
I know this might sounds trite, but have you noticed that when someone asks for the time, the question always is: what time is it ? The French are even more to the point; they say : What hour is it ? As do the Spanish speaking people.
Have you ever heard someone ask: what minute or what second is it since we live in a world in which our lives depends of decisions made with the help of computers capable of functionning at the speed of a nanosecond ?!
According to the Bible, who created time, separating the night and the sun, the moon and the rotation of the earth in 24 hours from which we get the time zones each of which measuring one hour?
How could our ancestors live simply with the help of a solar dial or an hour glass or later with a clock indicating only hours and minutes?
Now let us think about Jesus when he criticized the pharisees for focusing their attention and judgment on small unimportant details that they elevated at a level that God himself did not require, when at the same time neglecting the more important commands.
Nowadays as always, there exist in some churches and denominations persons who make splitting hairs a pastime, concentrating their attention on isolated, obscure (at least to our limited understanding since we see only through a glass darkly), difficult to explain bible verses in order to validate their viewpoint or to justify a false doctrine.
This Pharisaical attitude leads me to think about a watch with the tenth of a second hand, or the minute hand that are obviously practical, but are not really essential when it comes to know what hour of the day or night it is.
Would we be totally mistaken if we compared the hour hand to the great essential body of teaching from the Bible nobody could understand the existence or revelation of God through His Word. After all, what is an hour of our time measured against the eternal nature of our Creator whose existence is outside of time? Without these doctrines nobody could understand the existence, the nature and character of God, the prophecies, salvation and the forgiveness of sin, His covenant, promises to Israel and the Church, His will, instructions and commands that he gave us for the benefit of mankind?
The others isolated and few verses are undoubtedly a part of the biblical canon of the inerrant Scriptures ,but when we use them to divide the brothers and poison the Christian discourse, we are entering into a dangerous territory. Paul warns about the danger of being sectarian in I Corinthiens.
The question remains a valid one: What time is it in the church today? Is it the primitive church with its martyrs that some believers like to dream about as the perfect church, the time of Augustine, Martin Luther's time? do we live in the era of Calvin, of the Wesley brothers, of Charles Spurgeon or any other great man of God, even a founder of a denomination or do we live according to God's time? Granted, these men were powerful instruments in the hand of God and in the propagation of the Gospel, but they are not the ones on whom, neither are their thoughts on which our salvation depends.
The Bible is always the up to date and eternal word of God. What does God say of his salvation, the greatest manifestation of his love for mankind: "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says: "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2.
Again in Hebrews 4:7-11, Paul declares: Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a
long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today,
if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."For if Joshua had
given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There
remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters
God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us,
therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by
following their example of disobedience.”
Jean-Louis.
I know this might sounds trite, but have you noticed that when someone asks for the time, the question always is: what time is it ? The French are even more to the point; they say : What hour is it ? As do the Spanish speaking people.
Have you ever heard someone ask: what minute or what second is it since we live in a world in which our lives depends of decisions made with the help of computers capable of functionning at the speed of a nanosecond ?!
According to the Bible, who created time, separating the night and the sun, the moon and the rotation of the earth in 24 hours from which we get the time zones each of which measuring one hour?
How could our ancestors live simply with the help of a solar dial or an hour glass or later with a clock indicating only hours and minutes?
Now let us think about Jesus when he criticized the pharisees for focusing their attention and judgment on small unimportant details that they elevated at a level that God himself did not require, when at the same time neglecting the more important commands.
Nowadays as always, there exist in some churches and denominations persons who make splitting hairs a pastime, concentrating their attention on isolated, obscure (at least to our limited understanding since we see only through a glass darkly), difficult to explain bible verses in order to validate their viewpoint or to justify a false doctrine.
This Pharisaical attitude leads me to think about a watch with the tenth of a second hand, or the minute hand that are obviously practical, but are not really essential when it comes to know what hour of the day or night it is.
Would we be totally mistaken if we compared the hour hand to the great essential body of teaching from the Bible nobody could understand the existence or revelation of God through His Word. After all, what is an hour of our time measured against the eternal nature of our Creator whose existence is outside of time? Without these doctrines nobody could understand the existence, the nature and character of God, the prophecies, salvation and the forgiveness of sin, His covenant, promises to Israel and the Church, His will, instructions and commands that he gave us for the benefit of mankind?
The others isolated and few verses are undoubtedly a part of the biblical canon of the inerrant Scriptures ,but when we use them to divide the brothers and poison the Christian discourse, we are entering into a dangerous territory. Paul warns about the danger of being sectarian in I Corinthiens.
The question remains a valid one: What time is it in the church today? Is it the primitive church with its martyrs that some believers like to dream about as the perfect church, the time of Augustine, Martin Luther's time? do we live in the era of Calvin, of the Wesley brothers, of Charles Spurgeon or any other great man of God, even a founder of a denomination or do we live according to God's time? Granted, these men were powerful instruments in the hand of God and in the propagation of the Gospel, but they are not the ones on whom, neither are their thoughts on which our salvation depends.
The Bible is always the up to date and eternal word of God. What does God say of his salvation, the greatest manifestation of his love for mankind: "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says: "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2.
Let us live in the eternal present of God. Let us
beware of becoming slaves of a time imposed by man and believe that we are
going to miss the rewards of the frantic modern life if we do not follow the
patterns of a world which does not even know where it is going, neither
knows what hour it is in the time allotted to it by God, the
sovereign Lord and Creator on this earth. Now is the time for us to preach His
Gospel, do His work, to serve Him with gladness, in His own time, empowered by
His Holy Spirit in our heart full of faith, love and joy and gratitude
for his abounding grace and mercy.
Jean-Louis.
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